To The West | Page 8

not say "Good-bye" then, for there was a strange choking
feeling in my throat which made me hurry away, and the last thing I
heard as I went out was the sharp banging and locking of the little gate,
followed by another defiant sniff.
"Come and see us as often as you can, Mayne," said my new friend at
parting. "We never had any children, and it is a pleasure to us to have

young people about us, for since my misfortunes we have lived very
much to ourselves. In fact, my dear wife's health has made it necessary
that she should be much alone."
"But she is getting better, sir?"
"Oh, rapidly now; and if I can get her abroad--Ah, we must talk about
this another time. Goodnight."
"Good-night."
It was like the opening out of a new life to me, and I walked back to
Camberwell as if the distance was nothing, thinking as I was all the
time about the conversation, of Mrs John's sweet, patient face, and the
constantly attentive manner of Mr John, every action of his being
repaid by a grateful smile. "I wonder," I thought, "how it is possible
that Mr Dempster and Mr John could be cousins;" and then I went on
thinking about the interview at the office when Mr Dempster was so
harsh.
This kept my attention till I reached the Deans', and then I walked
straight in to find Mrs Dean making believe to read, while Esau was
bending his head slowly in a swaying motion nearer and nearer to the
candle every moment. In fact I believe if I had not arrived as I did,
Esau's hair would have been singed so as to need no cutting for some
time. As it was, he leaped up at a touch.
"Oh, here you are!" he said. "If you hadn't come I believe I should soon
have dropped asleep."
CHAPTER FOUR.
HOW MR. DEMPSTER USED HIS CANE.
My life at the office grew more miserable every day, and Mr Isaac
Dempster more tyrannical.
That's a big word to use, and seems more appropriate to a Roman

emperor than to a London auctioneer; but, on quietly thinking it over, it
is quite correct, for I honestly believe that that man took delight in
abusing Esau and me.
Let me see; what did some one say about the employment of boys? "A
boy is a boy; two boys are half a boy; and three boys are no boy at all."
Of course, as to the amount of work they do. But it is not true, for I
know--one of the auction-room porters told me--that Mr Dempster used
to keep two men-clerks in his office, till they both discharged
themselves because they would not put up with what the porter called
"his nastiness." Then we were both engaged.
That was one day when Dingle came down in his green baize apron and
carpet-cap, and had to wait till our employer returned from his lunch.
"Ah!" he said, "the guv'nor used to lead them two a pretty life, and keep
'em ever so late sometimes."
"But he had more business then, I suppose?" I said.
"Not he. Busier now, and makes more money. Nobody won't stop with
him."
"Yes, they will," said Esau. "You said you'd been with him fourteen
years."
"Yes," said Dingle, showing his yellow teeth, "but I'm an auctioneer's
fixtur', and going ain't in my way."
"Why not?" asked Esau.
"Got a wife and twelve children, squire, and they nails a man down."
Just then Mr Dempster came in, ordered Dingle to go into his room,
and we could hear him being well bullied about something, while as he
came out he laughed at us both, and gave his head a peculiar shake.
"Off!" he whispered. "Flea in each ear."

I mention this because it set me thinking that if we two lads of sixteen
or seventeen did all the work for which two men were formerly kept,
we could not be quite so useless and stupid as Mr Dempster said.
I know that my handwriting was not so very good, and I was not quite
so quick with my pen as Esau, but his writing was almost like
copper-plate, and I used to feel envious; though I had one
consolation--I never made Esau's mistakes in spelling.
But nothing we ever did was right, and as the weeks went on, made
bright to me now by my visits up in North London, Esau would throw
down his pen three or four times a day, rub his hands all over his curly
head, and look over the top of the desk at me.
"Now then," he used to say; "ready?"
"Ready for what?"
"To go and 'list. We're big enough now."
"Nonsense!"
"'Tain't nonsense," he