ancy for hard labour?"

"Hard labour?"

At that moment the door opened and Jack Smith entered.

I could notice the quick start he gave as the words fell suddenly on his
ear. He gave one scared look round the office, and then went quietly to
his desk.

At the sight of him there was an abrupt silence amongst us. Crow and
Wallop stopped short in the middle of their exclamation. Hawkesbury and
I buried ourselves in our work, and Doubleday, standing before the fire,
began to whistle softly.

Could anything have happened more awkwardly and suspiciously? Jack must
certainly believe we were all talking about him, and the ill-fated word
he had overheard would naturally suggest to him--

"When you've done laughing, young Batchelor," said Doubleday, stopping
short in his whistling, "we'll get to work."

This unexpected remark, which of course was a delicate way of calling
everybody's attention to my rueful countenance, served to put all the
rest of the company except myself at their ease, and Mr Barnacle's
entrance a minute afterwards put an end for the time to any further
conversation.

But the day dragged on miserably. What must Jack think of me? He would
be sure to believe the worst of me, and it was impossible for me to
explain.

"After all," I thought, "if he does choose to form wrong conclusions,
why should I afflict myself? No one was even speaking of him when he
entered the office. What business of mine is it to put him right?"

And then, as usual, I forgot all about the injury I had done him, all my
treachery, all my meanness, and instead felt rather aggrieved, and
persuaded myself it was I, not he, who was the injured person.

At dinner-time I ostentatiously went out arm-in-arm with Hawkesbury, and
when on returning I met Smith on the stairs I brushed past him as if I
had not seen him.

That afternoon I was called upon unexpectedly to go down to the docks to
see after the shipment of some goods. I was relieved to have the excuse
for being alone and getting away from the unpleasant surroundings of
Hawk Street.

It was late in the afternoon when I returned, so late that I almost
expected the fellows would some of them have left for the day. But as I
entered the office I noticed they were all there, and became aware that
something unusual was taking place. From the loud tones of the speakers
I concluded the partners had left for the day.

At first I could not tell whether it was a joke or a quar