e idea. "No, sir," he said, solemnly; "I've got my
work to do."

Mr. Robert sought for other explanations. "And, of course, you have a
stool," he remarked; "you couldn't swing round on that."

"Not even if I wanted to, sir," said the unbending Bassett.

Mr. Robert nodded, and taking some papers from his table held them
before his face and surveyed the youth over the top. Bassett stood
patiently to attention.

"That's all right," said the other; "thank you."

"Thank you, sir," said Bassett, turning to the door.

"By the way," said Mr. Robert, eying him curiously as he turned the
handle, "what exercise _do_ you take?"

"Exercise, sir?" said Bassett.

Mr. Robert nodded. "What do you do of an evening for amusement after the
arduous toils of the day are past? Marbles?"

"No, sir," said the outraged one. "If I have any time to spare I amuse
myself with a little shorthand."

"Amuse!" exclaimed the other. He threw himself back in his chair and,
sternly checking its inclination to twirl again, sought for a flaw
in the armour of this paragon. "And what else do you do in the way of
recreation?"

"I've got a vivarium, sir."

Mr. Robert hesitated, but curiosity got the better of his dignity.
"What's that?" he inquired.

"A thing I keep frogs and toads in, sir," was the reply.

Mr. Robert, staring hard at him, did his honest best to check the
next question, but it came despite himself. "Are you--are you married,
Bassett?" he inquired.

Bassett regarded him calmly. "No, sir," he said, with perfect gravity.
"I live at home with my mother."

The junior partner gave him a nod of dismissal, and for some time sat
gazing round the somewhat severely furnished office, wondering with
some uneasiness what effect such surroundings might have on a noble but
impressionable temperament. He brought round a few sketches the next
day to brighten the walls, and replated the gum-bottle and other useful
ornaments by some German beer-mugs.

Even with these aids to industry he found the confinement of office
somewhat irksome, and, taking a broad view of his duties, gradually
relieved Bassett of his errands to the docks. It was necessary, he told
himself, to get a thorough grasp of the whole business of ship-owning.
In the stokeholds of Vyner and Son's' steamships he talked learnedly on
coal with the firemen, and, quite unaided, hit on several schemes for
the saving of coal--all admirable except for the fact: that several
knots per ho