“But yours cannot be dismissed; indeed, my dear dear Handel, it must not be dismissed.

I wish you would enter on it now, as far as a few friendly words go, with me.”

“I will,” said I.

“In this branch house of ours, Handel, we must have a — ”

I saw that his delicacy was avoiding the right word, so I said, “A clerk.”

“A clerk. And I hope it is not at all unlikely that he may expand (as a clerk of your acquaintance has expanded) into a partner. Now, Handel, — in short, my dear boy, will you come to me?”

There was something charmingly cordial and engaging in the manner in which after saying