surprising how time does fly, and Christmas Eve, too. Well, well!
But hurry up with the shutters, David, and we shan't be long----"

Before Mr. Griffin had fully delivered himself of these remarks the
little person of David Dubbs was out in the cold, was in and out among
the screws on the door, had put up the shutters, and simultaneously with
the last word stood in the half-opened door and, all unseen by his
employer, waved his hand to some one at the corner of the court. He then
walked as quickly as his little, bent legs--parabolic were they in
outline, but, as this is not a geometric treatise, it is of no
particular consequence--would permit him up the long aisle in the centre
of the room, and sent off timid little echoes of his steps to ramble
away among the bales of crockery--for it was crockery that Emanuel
Griffin, Esq., dealt in--and rattle among the piles of plates.

Having reached again his little cage of an office, he took down from its
accustomed peg an old, threadbare coat, and, with much exertion and
outstretching of arms, finally got it on, turned up the collar, tied
about his ears a not very robust scarf, and laid thereon, as the
copestone of his apparel, a dingy high hat that had undergone, in point
of nap, as many reverses as its wearer in point of fortune. Thus
attired, he tipped his hat to his employer, all ready, like himself, to
depart, and started out.

Before he reached the door, a cry from Mr. Griffin arrested him, and he
came hastily back; for, although it would have required a thumbscrew to
have made him confess it, yet he had all day long looked forward to the
time of parting, when he half expected Emanuel Griffin, Esq., contrary
to his custom though it was, would offer him some little gift out of the
increased profits of a business he had done no little to advance. But no
such design had Mr. Griffin conceived, or if he had it was very soon
suppressed as entirely unworthy of a man of purely business habits, and
all he had to say was,--

"I know, David, there is something I was to have told you to do. Mrs.
Griffin impressed it on me this morning, but,"--here he stood thinking
for a moment,--"no matter," he resumed. "I guess it was nothing very
important, so good-by, David, and a--good-by!" He was going to say "and
a merry Christmas;" but for a man of purely business habits to unbend so
far and become cheerful--why, it's subversive of all business
discipline, and so he thought to himself.