the door of number nine, which was not
quite closed; and it was Mr. Crewe who made the important discovery that
the lugubrious division superintendent had a sense of humour. Mr. Manning
was seated at a marble-topped table writing on a salmon-coloured card, in
the act of pronouncing these words:--"For Mr. Speaker and Mrs. Speaker
and all the little Speakers, to New York and return."

Mr. Speaker Doby, standing before the marble-topped table with his hands
in his pockets, heard the noise behind him and turned, and a mournful
expression spread over his countenance.

"Don't mind me," said Mr. Crewe, waving a hand in the direction of the
salmon-coloured tickets; "I hope you have a good time, General. When do
you go?"

"Why," exclaimed the Speaker, "how are you, Mr. Crewe, how are you? It's
only one of Manning's little jokes."

"That's all right, General," said Mr. Crewe, "I haven't been a director
in railroads for nothing. I'm not as green as he thinks. Am I, Mr.
Manning?"

"It never struck me that green was your colour, Mr. Crewe," answered the
division superintendent, smiling a little as he tore the tickets into
bits and put them in the waste-basket.

"Well," said Mr. Crewe, "you needn't have torn 'em up on my account. I
travel on the pass which the Northeastern gives me as a legislator, and
I'm thinking seriously of getting Mr. Flint to send me an annual, now
that I'm in politics and have to cover the State."

"We thought you were a reformer, Mr. Crewe," the Honourable Brush Bascom
remarked.

"I am a practical man," said Mr. Crewe; "a railroad man, a business mark
and as such I try to see things as they are."

"Well," said General Doby, who by this time had regained his usual genial
air of composure, I'm glad you said that, Mr. Crewe. As these gentlemen
will tell you, if I'd had my wish I'd have had you on every important
committee in the House."

"Chairman of every important committee, General," corrected the
Honourable Jacob Botcher.

"Yes, chairman of 'em," assented the general, after a glance at Mr.
Crewe's countenance to see how this statement fared. "But the fact is,
the boys are all jealous of you--on the quiet. I suppose you suspected
something of the kind."

"I should have imagined there might be some little feeling," Mr. Crewe
assented modestly.

"Exactly," cried the general, "and I had to combat that feeling when I
insisted upon putting you at the head of National Affairs. It does not do
for