MR. SMEETH IS WORRIED 459

oh aear, oh dear, oh dear. 'Ere, this is it. Simmy come
up to me, that morning? and I'm standing as I might be
ere, see—and old Simmy—just a minute, Charlie, let me
teli' it—"

'This is the point, Turgis," said Mr. Smeeth
earnestly. "And, mind you, I'm talking in a friendly
way. Nobody's got anything against you at all. Put that
out of your head. But as Mr, Dersingham says—you've
got to buck up. Just lately, you've not been taking your
work in the right spirit at all. I know you're not a lazy
chap and I know you can do your work all right, but if I
hadn't known it? I don't mind telling you, I might have
come to a wrong conclusion just lately. Now, we all
have our troubles. I've plenty of my own, I can tell
you," he continued, with the air of a modest hero,
"though you mightn't think it. That's because I've
learned not to bring 'em to the office with me. I'm old
enough and experienced enough not to let my troubles
interfere with my work. You're not, and it's nothing to
be ashamed of. My opinion is, Turgis—you've not been
feeling up to the mark lately."

'That is so, Mr. Smeeth," said Turgis. "You're right
there. I haven't."

"Didn't he, Charlie?" roared the large man, drowning
everybody. "He did. It's as true as I'm standing 'ere.
Next time you see Simmy, you say to 'im, 'What price
Lady Flatiron at Newbury?'—that's all Just say that.
Laugh! Oh gord! Outch-ch-ch-ch-ch." The enormous
face was purple now.

"It's no business of mine, Turgis," said Mr. Smeeth in
his ear, "and I'm only asking in a friendly spirit. But
it's my opinion you've got yourself into trouble some-
how. If it isn't that, you'd better go round and see a