o which he had devoted himself.

Bob, in a burst of sudden enthusiasm, leaped off his stool, opened the
office-door, and muttered something as the distinguished visitor passed
him.

"I beg pardon," said Mr Field, checking himself, "what did you say?"

"I--I wish you good luck, sir, with--with the new cable," stammered the
clerk, blushing deeply.

"Thank you, lad--thank you," said Mr Field, with a pleasant smile and
nod, as he went away.

"Mr Sime," said Mr Lowstoft to Bob, turning at the door of his room,
"send young Wright to me."

"Yes, sir," replied the obedient Bob, going to a corner of the room and
applying his lips to a speaking-tube.

Now young Wright was none other than our hero Robin grown up to the
mature age of fifteen.

He was perched on the top of a three-legged stool, and, from the slow
and intensely earnest manner in which his head turned from side to side
as he wrote, it was quite evident that he dotted all his _i's_ and
stroked all his _t's_ with conscientious care. As he sat there--a
sturdy little broad-shouldered fellow, so deeply engrossed with his work
that he was oblivious of all around--he seemed the very _beau-ideal_ of
a painstaking, hard-working clerk. So deeply was he engrossed in his
subject--the copying of an invoice--that he failed to hear the voice of
his fellow-clerk, although the end of the speaking-tube was not far,
from where he sat. After listening a few seconds at the other end of
the tube, Bob Sime repeated the summons with such vigour that Robin
leaped from his stool as though he had received one of his favourite
electric shocks. A minute later he stood in the presence of the Head of
the House.

"Robert Wright," said the Head, pushing his spectacles up on his brow,
"I shall be sorry to lose your services, but--"

He paused and turned over the papers before him, as if searching for
something, and Robin's heart sank. Was he going to be dismissed? Had
he done anything wrong, or had he unwittingly neglected some duty?

"Ah! here it is," resumed Mr Lowstoft, "a letter from a friend who has
come by a slight injury to his right hand, and wants a smart amanuensis
and general assistant. Now I think of sending _you_ to him, if you have
no objection."

As the Head again paused while glancing over the letter, Robin ventured
timidly to state that he had very strong objections; that he was very
much satisfied with his situation and work, and had no desire to change.

Mr L