priggish,
self-satisfied smirk, and giving his opinion, even on the weather,
with the air of a man who was secretly better informed than the rest
of the world.

He was very punctual in his attendance at the office, passing the
threshold of the private house in a side-street near Whitehall, where
the department was lodged all by itself, every morning at eleven, and
doing the same thing every day at the same time with the most
praiseworthy, methodical precision. His first step was to deposit his
umbrella in one corner, his second to hang his hat in another, his
third to take an old office-coat out of a bottom drawer in his desk,
substituting it for the shiny black frock-coat he invariably wore;
then he looked through his letters, selected all of a private and
confidential nature, and placing the morning's _Times_ across his
knees deposited himself in an arm-chair near the fire. He was supposed
to be digesting the morning's correspondence, and no one during this
the first half-hour of his attendance would have ventured to intrude
upon him unsummoned.

It was with a very black face, therefore, that when thus occupied upon
the morning that Mr. Hobson visited Mrs. Wilders he saw his own
private messenger enter the room.

"What is it, Lightowlar? I have forbidden you to disturb me till
twelve."

"Beg pardon, sir; very sorry, sir!" replied the messenger, who had
been confidential valet to a Cabinet Minister, and prided himself on
the extreme polish of his language and demeanour. "I am aware that you
have intimidated your disapprobation of unseasonable interruption,
but--"

"Well, well! out with it, or take yourself off."

"Sir 'Umphry, sir; he have just come to the office quite unforseen."

Sir Humphrey Fothergill was the Parliamentary head of the office at
this time.

"Sir Humphrey here! What an extraordinary thing!"

The proper time for the appearance of this great functionary was at 4
p.m., on his way to the House and Mr. Faulks felt quite annoyed at the
departure from the ordinary rule.

"Sir 'Umphry 'ave took us all aback, sir. His own messenger, Mr.
Sprott, was not in the way for the moment, and Sir 'Umphry expressed
himself in rather strong terms."

"Serve Sprott right. But what has all that to do with me?"

"Sir 'Umphry, sir, 'ave sent, sir"--the man could hardly bring himself
to convey the message; "he 'ave sent, sir, to say he wishes to see you
at once."

"Me? At this hour? Impossible!"

This pes