Crocker. Crocker's misadventure at the police office had found its
way into the newspapers, and had been discussed by Aeolus with Mr.
Jerningham. I am afraid that Mr. Jerningham must have intended to
tempt the culprit into some false excuse.

"I was horribly ill," said Crocker, without stopping the pen with
which he was making entries in the big book before him. This no doubt
was true, and so far the trap had been avoided.

"What made you ill, Mr. Crocker?"

"Headache."

"It seems to me, Mr. Crocker, you're more subject to such attacks as
these than any young man in the office."

"I always was as a baby," said Crocker, resuming something of his
courage. Could it be possible that Aeolus should not have heard of
the day's absence?

"There is ill-health of so aggravated a nature," said Mr. Jerningham,
"as to make the sufferer altogether unfit for the Civil Service."

"I'm happy to say I'm growing out of them gradually," said Crocker.
Then Geraghty got up from his chair and whispered the whole truth
into the sufferer's ears. "It was all in the _Pall Mall_ yesterday,
and Aeolus knew it before he went away." A sick qualm came upon the
poor fellow as though it were a repetition of yesterday's sufferings.
But still it was necessary that he should say something. "New Year's
Day comes only once a year, I suppose."

"It was only a few weeks since that you remained a day behind your
time when you were on leave. But Sir Boreas has taken the matter up,
and I have nothing to say to it. No doubt Sir Boreas will send for
you." Sir Boreas Bodkin was that great Civil servant in the General
Post Office whom men were wont to call Aeolus.

It was a wretched morning for poor Crocker. He was not sent for till
one o'clock, just at the moment when he was going to eat his lunch!
That horrid sickness, the combined result of the dinner in the City,
of Mrs. Demijohn's brandy, and of the many whiskies which followed,
still clung to him. The mutton-chop and porter which he had promised
himself would have relieved him; but now he was obliged to appear
before the god in all his weakness. Without a word he followed a
messenger who had summoned him, with his tail only too visibly
between his legs. Aeolus was writing a note when he was ushered into
the room, and did not condescend to arrest himself in the progress
merely because Crocker was present. Aeolus well knew the effect on a
sinner of having to stand silent and all alone in the presence o