not for that."

"I trust, Mr. Weldon, that your mention of the fact that your salary is
two thousand dollars was not intended in any way ... was not, in short,
to be regarded in the light of..."

"No, no, no," Weldon murmured impatiently, trying to shake off a
compelling drowsiness that threatened him.

"Because in that case ... in that case ... it was, I remember, only
upon Mr. Bingham's urgent recommendation that it was made two thousand.
The post has never carried but eighteen hundred. But your exceptional
work, according to Mr. Bingham ... I am glad to hear it is not a
question of salary. I never discuss..."

Again Weldon's mind slipped off, and this time groves of palms hovered
between the grooved Corinthian pillars of the president's office, palms
and frosty coral wreaths. To breathe that languid, blue-stained air!

"... May I ask, then, Mr. Weldon, for what purpose you have requested
this interview?"

Consciousness returned with a flash and Weldon straightened in his red
leather chair.

"I have been waiting for some time the opportunity to tell you, sir,"
he said coolly, and the angry start that greeted this positively
strengthened him. It was a natural start, at least.

"Mr. Deeping," he continued, with only a little catch of the breath,
"what you describe as my 'exceptional work' has led me to request this
interview. I believe it to be in many ways exceptional. During Mr.
Russell's illness I assisted Mr. Bingham, and after his recovery I
continued this assistance in other ways. Mr. Bingham has perhaps
intrusted me with more responsibility than was in every respect
wise--certainly with more than he realised. I was enabled to give him
some opportune help on the occasion of the last inspection, and this
gave me a fairly general survey----"

"One moment, Mr. Weldon."

The president glanced at the clock and laid the paper-cutter down with
a decisive motion.

"Let me suggest to you that whatever assistance you may have rendered
Mr. Bingham (for which, by the way, I consider you have received ample
compensation), you rendered it entirely of your own volition and on
your own responsibility. It is quite your own personal affair. I
could not for a moment consider----"

Weldon's taut control snapped short under these booming syllables.

"Damn it all!" he cried fiercely, "shall we talk here all night? This
should have been over long ago. Listen to me, if you can. I have been
for a month convin