lin, sir?" he asked, "Or
can I take your orders?"

"You are a capital imitator of your father, Jack," Bob said, as he
brought his hand down heavily on the shoulder of the young clerk;
who stared at him in astonishment.

"Why, it is Bob--I mean, Mr. Repton!" he exclaimed.

"It's Bob Repton, Jack, sure enough; and glad I am to see you. Why,
it is nearly three years since we met; and we have both altered a
good bit, since then.

"Well, is my uncle in?"

"No, he is out, at present; but my father is in the inner office."

Bob strode into the inner office, and greeted Mr. Medlin as
heartily as he had done his son; and Mr. Medlin, for the first time
since he had entered Philpot Lane, as a boy, forgot that he was
within the sacred precincts of the city and, for at least ten
minutes, laughed and talked as freely and unrestrainedly as if he
had been out at Highgate.

"Your uncle will be delighted to see you back," he said. "He is for
ever talking about you; and there wasn't a prouder man in the city
of London than he was, when the despatches were published and your
name appeared, twice, as having rendered great service. He became a
little afraid, at one time, that you might take to soldiering,
altogether. But I told him that I thought there was no fear of
that. After you had once refused to take a midshipman's berth--with
its prospect of getting away from school--I did not think it likely
that you would be tempted, now."

"No; the General told Captain O'Halloran that he would get me a
commission, if I liked; but I had not the least ambition that way.
I have had a fine opportunity of seeing war, and have had a jolly
time of it; and now I am quite ready to settle down, here."

Mr. Bale was delighted, on his return, to find Bob. It was just the
hour for closing, and he insisted upon Mr. Medlin stopping to take
supper with him. Bob had written, whenever there was an opportunity
of sending letters; but many of these had never come to hand, and
there was much to tell, and talk about.

"Well, I am thoroughly satisfied with the success of our
experiment, Mr. Medlin," Mr. Bale said, next day. "Bob has turned
out exactly what I hoped he would--a fine young fellow, and a
gentleman. He has excellent manners, and yet there is nothing
foppish, or affected about him."

"I had no fear of that, with Bob, Mr. Bale; and indeed, Gibraltar
during the siege must have been a bad school for anyone to learn
that sort of thing. Military me