Not by people well acquainted with human nature, or the fact that a grain of good-fellowship in the human heart exhibits extraordinary and radium-like activity under certain conditions: the conditions induced by punch and beauty and good-fellowship in others, for instance. One morning, after the day upon which he had refused to assist Frank Leavesley to "make a fool of himself with a girl," James Hancock arrived at his office at the usual time, in the usual manner, and, nodding to Bridgewater as he had nodded to him every morning for the last thirty years, passed into the inner office and closed the door. The closing of the door was a new departure; it had generally been left ajar as an indication that Bridgewater might come in whenever he chose, to receive instructions and to consult upon the morning letters. The expression on Bridgewater's face when he heard the closing of the door was so extraordinarily funny, that one of the younger clerks, who caught a glimpse of it, hastily stuffed his handkerchief into his mouth and choked silently behind the lid of his desk. Quarter of an hour passed, and then the door opened. "Bridgewater!" The old gentleman stuck his pen behind his ear and answered the summons. James Hancock was seated at his desk. On it lay an envelope addressed in a lady's handwriting; he covered the envelope with a piece of blotting paper as Bridgewater entered. "I'm going out this morning, Bridgewater, on some private business." "Out this morning?" echoed Bridgewater in a tentative tone. "Yes; I leave you in charge." "But Purvis, Mr James, Purvis has an appointment with you at twelve." "Oh, bother Purvis! Tell him to call to-morrow, his affair will wait; tell him the deed is not drawn and to come again to-morrow." "How about Isaacs?" "Solomon Isaacs?" "Yes, Mr James." "What time is he coming?" "Half-past eleven." "Tell him to come to-morrow." "I'm afraid he won't. I'm----" "If he won't," said Mr Hancock with some acerbity, "tell him to go to the devil. I don't want his business especially--let him find some one else. Now see here, about these letters." He went into the morning letters, dictating replies to the more important ones and leaving the rest to the discretion of his clerk. "And, Bridgewater," said Mr Hancock, as the senior clerk turned to depart, "I am expecting a lady to call here at half-past ten or quarter to eleven: show her in, it's Miss Lambert." "You have had no word from Mr Charles Bevan, sir, since he called the other day?"