d. Every moment that passed I felt more and more
uneasy. Mr Barnacle had already arrived, and Mr Merrett was due in a
few minutes. What right had I to delay even for a moment a matter which
affected the credit of the whole house?

Yet suppose, after all, I had found a mare's-nest! Suppose Hawkesbury's
explanation of what had occurred should by any chance have been
correct--suppose the sounds I heard during my confinement had not been
caused by those two at all, but by the housekeeper sweeping out the room
and putting it in order? If that was so, what a fool I should make of
myself!

No; I resolved, for all the difference it would make, I would wait till
I could consult Doubleday.

Hawkesbury was very busy that morning; he was constantly fidgeting in
and out of his little box, giving vague directions to one clerk and
another, and keeping a special eye on me and all I did.

When Mr Merrett arrived he went as usual to say good-morning to his
uncle, and as usual followed him into the partners' room, to receive
such letters as might require answering.

I wished Doubleday had not been called down to the docks this morning of
all others. He would have told me in a moment what I ought to do, or,
which came to the same thing, what he would have done in my place.
Anything would be better than this suspense. I was tempted even then to
break in upon the partners and tell them what had happened, and what my
suspicions were. But I could not do it while Hawkesbury was there.
When he came out--

By the way, what an unconscionable lot of letters there must be to keep
him in there all this time! He was usually there about five minutes,
but this morning he had been half an hour at the very least.

The thought suddenly occurred to me, could he be telling the partners
about Jack Smith's antecedents? In the midst of all my uneasiness I
almost smiled to think how sold he would be when he discovered they had
heard it all already!

Ah! here he was at last.

No. It was Mr Merrett who appeared at the door with an extremely long
face; and looking round the office, fixed his eyes on me, and said,
"Batchelor--come in here!"

I obeyed.

Instead of going in as usual before me, he waited till I had entered,
and then followed me, closing the door behind him.

What on earth does it all mean?

Mr Barnacle sat looking straight before him through his spectacles.
Hawkesbury also sat at the table, twisting a quill pen backwards and