At first he could not avoid feeling that there seemed a good deal more of play than business in their doings; but his admiration of the scene deepened when he remembered the bold acts of the firemen at Beverly Square, and recognised some of the faces of the men who had been on duty there, and reflected that these very men, _who seemed thus to be playing themselves_, would on that very night, in all probability, be called upon to exert these powers sternly and seriously, yet coolly, in the midst of scenes of terror and confusion, and in the face of imminent personal danger. Brooding over these things, Willie, having at length torn himself away, hastened on his pilgrimage to London Bridge. CHAPTER TEN. DIFFICULTIES AND DISSIPATIONS. In a very small office, situate in a very large warehouse, in that great storehouse of the world's wealth, Tooley Street, sat a clerk named Edward Hooper. Among his familiar friends Edward was better known by the name of Ned. He was seated on the top of a tall three-legged stool, which, to judge from the uneasy and restless motions of its occupant, must have been a peculiarly uncomfortable seat indeed. There was a clock on the wall just opposite to Ned's desk, which that young gentleman was in the habit of consulting frequently--very frequently--and comparing with his watch, as if he doubted its veracity. This was very unreasonable, for he always found that the two timepieces told the truth; at least, that they agreed with each other. Nevertheless, in his own private heart, Ned Hooper thought that clock-- and sometimes called it--"the slowest piece of ancient furniture he had ever seen." During one of Ned's comparisons of the two timepieces the door opened, and Mr Auberly entered, with a dark cloud, figuratively speaking, on his brow. At the same moment the door of an inner office opened, and Mr Auberly's head clerk, who had seen his employer's approach through the dusty window, issued forth and bowed respectfully, with a touch of condolence in his air, as he referred with much regret to the fire at Beverly Square, and hoped that Miss Auberly was not much the worse of her late alarm. "Well, she is not the better for it," said Mr Auberly; "but I hope she will be quite well soon. Indeed, the doctor assures me of this, if care is taken of her. I wish that was the only thing on my mind just now; but I am perplexed about another matter, Mr Quill. Are you alone?" "Quite alone, sir," said Quill, throwing open the door of the inner office. "I want to consult with you about Frederick," said Mr Auberly as he entered. The door shut out the remainder of the consultation at this point, so Edward Hooper consulted the clock again and sighed. If sighs could have delivered Hooper from his sorrows, there is no doubt that the accumulated millions of which he was delivered in that office, during the last five years, would have filled him with a species of semi-celestial bliss.