you did, did you?" said Doubleday, gradually working back to his
own seat. "Well, you _have_ got something on your face to show for it;
hasn't he, Wallop?"

"Looks as if he'd been painting up for the South Sea Islands," observed
Wallop.

"That's rather a showy tint of yellow down his left cheek," said Crow.
"Very fashionable colour just now."

"Did you lay it on yourself?" said Doubleday, "or did you get any one to
help you?"

"Oh," I said, in as off-hand a manner as I could, "I was having a little
box with Whipcord up at the Field-marshal's. You weren't there, by the
way, Doubleday. Whipcord's rather a good hand."

"Is he?" said Doubleday, laughing exuberantly, with Wallop and Crow as
chorus. "I would never have supposed that by your face, now; would you,
you fellows? It strikes me you got a big box instead of smallpox, eh?
Ha, ha!"

"I wonder at Whipcord standing up to you," said Crow. "He's such a
quiet fellow, and doesn't know in the least what to do with his hands."

"He had the best of me," I said.

"Well, I don't know. It doesn't do to trust to appearances. If it did
one might suppose he had--rather. I hope you'll ask me up when you have
the return match."

I didn't see much fun in those witticisms, which, however, appeared to
afford great merriment to the company generally, so much so that when
Mr Barnacle presently opened the door he caught the whole counting-
house laughing.

"What tomfoolery is this?" he demanded, looking angrily round. "You
seem to forget, all of you, that you come here to work, and not to play.
If you want to play you can go somewhere else. There!" So saying he
passed into his private room, slamming the door ill-temperedly behind
him.

This was not encouraging for me, who, of course, had to report myself,
and contradict the rumours regarding my illness.

I gave him a quartet of an hour or so to quiet down, partly in the hope
that Mr Merrett might meanwhile arrive. But as that event did not
happen, and as Doubleday informed me that the advertisements for a new
clerk were to be sent out that morning, I made up my mind there was
nothing to be gained by further delay, and therefore made the venture.

I found myself anything but comfortable as I stood before Mr Barnacle's
desk, and stammeringly began my statement.

"Please, sir--"

"Why, what is this, sir?" demanded Mr Barnacle, sternly. "We were told
yesterday you were ill."

"So I was, sir, and I believed I