“This note contains a request from an old client of ours, Dr. Phelps McCarthy, of Willow Lea House Academy, West Hampstead, that I should at once send him a young man who should be qualified to teach Latin and English to a small class of boys under fourteen years of age. His vacancy appears to be the very one which you are looking for. The terms are not munificent--sixty pounds, board, lodging, and washing--but the work is not onerous, and you would have the evenings to yourself.” “That would do,” I cried, with all the eagerness of the man who sees work at last after weary months of seeking. “I don’t know that it is quite fair to these gentlemen whose names have been so long upon our list,” said Mr. Lumsden, glancing down at his open ledger. “But the coincidence is so striking that I feel we must really give you the refusal of it.” “Then I accept it, sir, and I am much obliged to you.” “There is one small provision in Dr. McCarthy’s letter. He stipulates that the applicant must be a man with an imperturbable good temper.” “I am the very man,” said I, with conviction. “Well,” said Mr. Lumsden, with some hesitation, “I hope that your temper is really as good as you say, for I rather fancy that you may need it.” “I presume that every elementary school-master does.” “Yes, sir, but it is only fair to you to warn you that there may be some especially trying circumstances in this particular situation. Dr. Phelps McCarthy does not make such a condition without some very good and pressing reason.” There was a certain solemnity in his speech which struck a chill in the delight with which I had welcomed this providential vacancy. “May I ask the nature of these circumstances?” I asked. “We endeavour to hold the balance equally between our clients, and to be perfectly frank with all of them. If I knew of objections to you I should certainly communicate them to Dr. McCarthy, and so I have no hesitation in doing as much for you. I find,” he continued, glancing over the pages of his ledger, “that within the last twelve months we have supplied no fewer than seven Latin masters to Willow Lea House Academy, four of them having left so abruptly as to forfeit their month’s salary, and none of them having stayed more than eight weeks.” “And the other masters? Have they stayed?” “There is only one other residential master, and he appears to be unchanged. You can understand, Mr. Weld,” continued the agent, closing both the ledger and the interview, “that such rapid changes are not desirable from a master’s point of view, whatever may be said for them by an agent working on commission. I have no idea why these gentlemen have resigned their situations so early. I can only give you the facts, and advise you to see Dr. McCarthy at once and to form your own conclusions.”