ooks entertained an
excellent opinion of himself, and was in high favor with the customers,
for he was witty, musical, and talkative. More than that, he was a
stately little man, and well informed in all the great political
movements of the day, and would entertain customers on the condition of
the nation while counting their money. It was evident that Mr. Books was
not in sympathy with the great enterprise his employers were developing,
for he was continually saying witty but malicious things about Gusher,
and would even point significantly with his thumb over his right
shoulder. When a more than ordinarily verdant customer would come with
his money, Mr. Books would shrug his shoulders, drum with his fingers on
the desk, and hum a tune to the words--

"Fortunes made, and fortunes lost;
Fools seek the phantom here at last," &c., &c.

Books had several times intimated an intention to set up a great
enterprising banking and miscellaneous firm of his own. Indeed, his
popularity with the patrons of the house was doing Mr. Books no good,
especially as it entailed the necessity of his taking so great a number
of drinks during the day that he would offer to bet the reputation of
the firm that he was the tallest man in the establishment, and a politer
man than Gusher. So good an opinion had Mr. Books of himself when under
these little delusions, occasioned accidentally, as he would say, that
it became a serious question with him whether his proud position was due
to Topman and Gusher or his own great merits. In fine, it had more than
once occurred to him that the firm was indebted to his personal
popularity for its great reputation.

Mr. Gusher consulted Mr. Books, and entrusted him with the little
woman's money. Then he proceeded to Mr. Foblin's desk, that gentleman
turning over the pages of his big ledger preparatory to making an entry.

"What name did you say? I have the amount," enquired that gentleman,
looking up earnestly over his spectacles.

"If you please, madam," said he, approaching the little woman with a
bow, "you shall have no objection to give me your name. It is necessary
as we shall keep ze book so correct."

The little woman hesitated for a moment, fingered the handle of her
satchel nervously, then looked up inquiringly in Mr. Gusher's face. Then
touching him timidly on the right arm with the fore-finger of her left
hand she whispered, "Nautical, nautical, my nautical name?" Then her
lips motion