" said Jack. "It's a pity."

I did not quite like the tone in which he said this. It may have been
that my conscience was not quite clear as to my own straightforwardness
in this matter. I was not obliged to tell him everything, to be sure;
but then, no more was I obliged to try to deceive him when I did tell
him. At any rate, I felt a trifle irritated, and the rest of our walk
proceeded in silence till we reached Style Street. Here we found Billy
at his old sport, but evidently expecting us.

"Shine 'e boots, governor!" cried he, with a profound grin.

Jack put his foot upon the box, and the young artist fell-to work
instantly.

"I'll stroll on," I said, out of humour, and anxious to be alone.

"All serene!" replied Jack, solemnly as usual.

By the time he turned up at Beadle Square I had somewhat recovered my
equanimity, and the rest of the evening was spent in talking about
indifferent matters, and avoiding all serious topics. Among other
things, I told Jack of the expected addition to the staff at Hawk
Street, which interested him greatly, especially as the new-comer was to
work in the Import department.

"I hope he'll be a nice fellow," he said. "What's his name?"

"I don't know. He's a nephew of Merrett's, they say, and a good fellow.
He's coming in as a clerk at first, but Harris says he's to be taken in
as a partner in time."

"Then he's only a boy yet?"

"I suppose so--seventeen or eighteen."

Of course there was a considerable amount of speculation and curiosity
as to the new arrival during the week which followed. I think most of
us were a little jealous, and Doubleday was especially indignant at the
fellow's meanness in being the governor's nephew.

"Of course, he'll peach about all we do," growled he, "and give his
precious uncle a full, true, and particular account every evening of
everything every one of us has been up to during the day. And the worst
of it is, one can't even lick the beggar now and then, like any other
fellow."

It undoubtedly was hard lines, and we all sympathised not a little with
the chief clerk's grievance.

Our suspense was not protracted. On the appointed day Mr Merrett
arrived, accompanied by a slender youth of about eighteen, at sight of
whom Jack and I started as though we had been shot. The new-comer was
no other than our former schoolfellow, Hawkesbury.

If a skeleton had walked into the office we could not have been more
taken aback. Of all per