, plucking them sharply
from his hand. 'Go about your business.'

But in taking them with so little ceremony, Mr Carker dropped one on the
floor, and did not see what he had done; neither did Mr Dombey observe
the letter lying near his feet. Walter hesitated for a moment, thinking
that one or other of them would notice it; but finding that neither did,
he stopped, came back, picked it up, and laid it himself on Mr Dombey's
desk. The letters were post-letters; and it happened that the one in
question was Mrs Pipchin's regular report, directed as usual--for Mrs
Pipchin was but an indifferent penwoman--by Florence. Mr Dombey, having
his attention silently called to this letter by Walter, started, and
looked fiercely at him, as if he believed that he had purposely selected
it from all the rest.

'You can leave the room, Sir!' said Mr Dombey, haughtily.

He crushed the letter in his hand; and having watched Walter out at the
door, put it in his pocket without breaking the seal.

'These continual references to Mr Carker the Junior,' Mr Carker
the Manager began, as soon as they were alone, 'are, to a man in my
position, uttered before one in yours, so unspeakably distressing--'

'Nonsense, Carker,' Mr Dombey interrupted. 'You are too sensitive.'

'I am sensitive,' he returned. 'If one in your position could by any
possibility imagine yourself in my place: which you cannot: you would be
so too.'

As Mr Dombey's thoughts were evidently pursuing some other subject, his
discreet ally broke off here, and stood with his teeth ready to present
to him, when he should look up.

'You want somebody to send to the West Indies, you were saying,'
observed Mr Dombey, hurriedly.

'Yes,' replied Carker.

'Send young Gay.'

'Good, very good indeed. Nothing easier,' said Mr Carker, without any
show of surprise, and taking up the pen to re-endorse the letter, as
coolly as he had done before. '"Send young Gay."'

'Call him back,' said Mr Dombey.

Mr Carker was quick to do so, and Walter was quick to return.

'Gay,' said Mr Dombey, turning a little to look at him over his
shoulder. 'Here is a--

'An opening,' said Mr Carker, with his mouth stretched to the utmost.

'In the West Indies. At Barbados. I am going to send you,' said
Mr Dombey, scorning to embellish the bare truth, 'to fill a junior
situation in the counting-house at Barbados. Let your Uncle know from
me, that I have chosen you to go to the West Indies.'

Walter's b