tilent Sir Humphrey was upsetting every tradition of the
office.

Mr. Faulks again settled himself in his arm-chair, with the air of a
man who refused to move--out of his proper groove.

"Mr. Faulks! Mr. Faulks!" Another unseemly intrusion. This time it was
Sprott, the chief messenger, flurried and frightened, no doubt, by
recent reproof. "Sir Humphrey's going on awful, sir; he's rung his
bell three times, and asked how long it took you to go upstairs."

Sullenly, and sorely against his will, Mr. Faulks rose and joined his
chief.

"I have asked for you several times," said Sir Humphrey Fothergill, a
much younger man than Mr. Faulks, new to official life, but a
promising party politician, with a great belief in himself and his
importance as a member of the House of Commons; "you must have come
late."

"Pardon me, I was here at my usual time; but in the thirty-five years
that I have had the honour to serve in the Military Munition
Department I never remember a Parliamentary chief who came so early as
you."

"I shall come when I choose--in the middle of the night, if it suits
me or is necessary, as is more than probable in these busy times."

Mr. Faulks waved his hands and bowed stiffly, as much as to say that
Sir Humphrey was master of his actions, but that he need not expect to
see him.

"You all want stirring up here," said Sir Humphrey abruptly. "It is
high time to give you a fillip."

"I am not aware--" Mr. Faulks began, in indignant protest, but his
chief cut him short.

"Did you read what happened in the House last night?"

"I have only just glanced at the _Times_," replied Mr. Faulks, in a
melancholy voice, thinking how rudely his regular perusal of the great
journal had been interrupted that morning.

"It's not pleasant reading. There was a set attack upon this
department, and they handled us very roughly, let me tell you. It made
my ears tingle."

"We have been abused cruelly--unfairly abused for the last twelve
months," said Mr. Faulks with a most injured air.

"You richly deserved it. Amongst you the troops in the Crimea have
been dying from starvation, perishing from cold."

"I can assure you that is distinctly unjust. I can assure you great
quantities of warm clothing were dispatched in due course."

"Ay, but when?"

"I can't give you the exact dates, but we have been advised of their
arrival these last few weeks."

"Warm clothing in May? A very seasonable provision! But it's all of a