She took her seat on a wooden settle outside the door of the office, which, open at the top, was screened off with ground glass in one corner of the long room, and waited her turn for an audience. She hardly saw the inquiring glances given her from time to time by the clerks; she was full of an intensity of purpose that cut through conventions like a knife. But presently the conversation carried on by the rising voices of men within the office forced itself upon her consciousness unpleasantly. “Mein Gott! then I lose twenty t’ousand dollar! Consider what that means to me, shentlemen. At this time, at _this_ time, it is ruin!” “You should have looked out for that before, Hartmann,” answered a cold voice, that the listener recognized as Nelson’s. “We gave you opportunity to examine the goods—you cannot say we did not. If your man was a fool it’s not our fault. We gave you opportunity.” “Oh, oppo-_chu_nity,” moaned Hartmann. “Mein Gott, what oppo-_chu_-nity! And the whole cargo rotten! Consider, shentlemen, that it is ruin.” White’s high shrill tones broke in with an imprecation, “Consider—as you’re so fond of the word—that you tried to cheat us, and got caught; consider that you tried to cut _our_ throat, and we’ve cut _yours_. You might have known you hadn’t a ghost of a chance with us. We _know_ you’re ruined, and we don’t _care_. Understand that. We don’t care. Any one who thinks he can work that game on us gets left. You’ve got the rotten cargo, and we’ve got your twenty thousand dollars, and we’re going to _keep_ it. If I were you I wouldn’t talk too much about the story, you don’t show up any too well in it.” “But my wife, my shildrens,” moaned the man. “See here, Hartmann,” said Nelson, with dignity, “this is business. Either you talk business, or get out of here. On second thoughts you get out of here anyway. We’ve had enough of you for one day. You think so, too, White? Shall I get somebody to put you out, Hartmann? No? Then _go_!” He held the office door open, with a compelling gesture of his free hand and a little man, bowed together, weeping and mumbling by turns, came stumbling out as if blinded. As he did so, a boy with papers slipped into the office, and behind him came a tall, pale clerk, with shabby clothes, and a gentle, anxious face. “Ah, Cramer,” said Nelson, half looking up from the papers as he scanned them quickly in turn before affixing his signature. “What can I do for you to-day?” “I was told that you wanted to speak to me, sir,” said Cramer. “Mr. White, I believe, takes your department in hand. White!” “The fact is,” said White, “we shall not need you after the first of the month, Mr. Cramer. You asked for an increase of salary.” “I cannot live on what I get now,” said Cramer. “I have others to support.”