lomon."

"I'm afraid I know very little, Miss Winton. I'm here to learn." Oh,
Henry was becoming quite a tea-table success.

"And I'm sure we hope you will find your new work up to your
expectations. I have never met Mr. Springthorpe myself," said Mr.
Winton, as he rose and retired to the living-room, which was
half-kitchen, to smoke his evening pipe, while Flo helped her mother to
clear away the tea-things and restore the dusty immortelles to their
place of honour.

"The dad says he has never met Mr. Springthorpe, and a good thing for
his idea of journalism. Not that old Spring doesn't strike you well
enough at first meeting; but you'll soon find him out," Edgar said to
Henry when they were alone in the parlour.

"He seemed very considerate, I thought, when my father and I called on
him. A little pompous, perhaps."

"Oh, you've noticed that! You'll see more of it by-and-by. But he can be
wonderfully considerate when there is a nice little premium attached to
a new pupil. Your pater must have come down handsome on the spot, for
the Balmy One has been swaggering around in a new frock-suit and shiny
topper since you were engaged. Let me be frank with you, and tell you at
once that you needn't expect anything of value out of our gorgeous
chief. What you learn you'll have to pick up from Bertram and myself,
and from Yardley the sub."

"I understood that I was really Mr. Springthorpe's pupil."

"You're not the first that understood that; but really it doesn't
matter, for you'll get there all the same, as they say in the song.
You'll have lots to do and you'll soon learn, but don't fancy old Spring
is going to sit down and teach you. His duty ends when he converts your
premium into clothing for the outer, and refreshment for the inner man.
A good sort, but fond o' the bottle, like so many clever journalists."

"And were you a pupil also before you became a full reporter?"

"Not on the _Guardian_. I served six months as a junior on the
_Advertiser_, and received the order of the sack at the end of that
time, as they had no further use for services which had begun to require
a weekly fifteen bob. Luckily, the _Guardian_ was in a hole at the time,
both the chief reporter and his assistant having given notice, and the
pupil then flourishing was a hopeless youngster, who has since returned
to the business of his father, who is in the aerated water trade. So I
was engaged at once, and on the noble salary of fifteen bob a