U± ANGEL PAVEMENT

brutality. "But don't go knowing too many ropes, Eh,
Dersingham?"

"Oh, quite!" replied Mr. Dersingham, who did not
quite follow this, but looked knowing all the same,

"I understand, sir. I know what you mean. I
couldn't do it, sir. It's not in my character. Honesty
isn't everything, but I believe it's the first thing. And
I'm straight. I believe in being straight, sir."

"Good!" said Mr. Golspie heartily, for he, too,
believed in Sandycroft and his like being straight.

"And if it's possible, gentlemen," Sandycroft con-
tinued, looking from one to the other of them, "I'd like
to stay on now and just pick up the threads, so that I
can start right away on the road to-morrow morning.
I'm keen to get going, desperately keen. You know
what it is, sir. After only a week or two doing nothing
much, a man like me feels rusty. I want to get on with
it. My wife laughs at me. 'Have a rest/ she says. But
no, I'm not like that. I must be getting on with some-
thing,"

"Goodman," said Mr. Dersingham approvingly.
"Well, I think we'll have to be getting on with some*
thing too," said Mr, Golspie. "He'd better come round
here in the morning and learn what there is to know
about it then, before we send him out,"

"I think he had,'1 replied Mr. Dersingham, "Look
here, you'd better go home now—break the news to your
wife and that sort of thing, eh?-and then be down
about nine or so in the morning* If we're not here then,
you have a talk to Smeeth-that's the cashier, out there
-and he'll be able to tell you something,"

"Very good, sir," and you would have thought the
speaker was about to salute smartly before retiring, He