r the selfishness which
had blinded her to the change in the boy's face. The once smooth
forehead showed a faint network of lines; his glance had lost its
candour, his radiant self-confidence was replaced by nervous
uncertainty. He sat down quietly, casting a quick, almost furtive
glance at Philippa's face; but when she smiled gaily in response, when
she pressed dainties upon him and called him "old boy" in her old loving
tones, his relief and pleasure found vent in one of his old bursts of
merriment. He laughed and sang, danced up and down the room, and
chattered incessantly, and as if he had never known a care in his life.

"I had a rowing from old Waxworks to-day. I expect I shall get sacked
soon," he announced complacently. "The head of our department is such a
muff! He can't see a joke, and spends half his time telling tales of me
to the boss. Now, Waxworks, with all his faults, has quite a decent
sense of humour. I tried him pretty high one day, and he really behaved
uncommonly well. I was at the telephone when he came out of his private
room and said, `Oh Charrington, just telephone home for me that I am
bringing two of the directors to dinner to-night.' I said, `Yes, sir,'
and rang up at once. Of course, I expected him to go back to his room,
so after I had given the message, `Two directors coming to dinner
to-night,' I dropped the tube and added a little warning on my own
behalf for the benefit of the clerks: `_Don't_--_have_--_hash_!' They
were all so jolly sober about it that I looked round to see what was up,
and there was every man Jack of them scribbling for his life, while old
Waxworks stood at his door looking on. I tell you I felt pretty sick;
but he just glared at me for a moment, and then went into his room and
shut the door. My private opinion is that he wanted to laugh. One of
the fellows told me that he quite snubbed Young--that's our head--when
he complained of my vaulting over the desks--waved his hand, and said,
with his grandest roll, `Your manager has been young himself!' I expect
Young had it in for me worse than ever after that, and to-day he had his
chance. He was out of the room, and it was beastly dull, so I proposed
getting up a statue gallery, and posed the fellows standing up on their
stools. We had the Three Graces, with their arms entwined, and their
legs sticking up in the air. Ulysses meeting What's-her-name--Penelope,
wasn't it?--and hugging her round the waist,