clerk - quite an inexperienced one in fact - out of the respect the

firm had for you, Mr. Pooter. This is, of course, a fact. I don't
suggest that you should speak in too strong terms of your own son's

conduct; but I may add, that had he been a son of mine, I should
have condemned his interference with no measured terms. That I

leave to you. I think the result will be that Mr. Crowbillon will
see the force of the foolish step he has taken, and our firm will

neither suffer in dignity nor in pocket."
I could not help thinking what a noble gentleman Mr. Perkupp is.

His manners and his way of speaking seem to almost thrill one with
respect.

I said: "Would you like to see the letter before I send it?"
Mr. Perkupp said: "Oh no! I had better not. I am supposed to

know nothing about it, and I have every confidence in you. You
must write the letter carefully. We are not very busy; you had

better take the morning to-morrow, or the whole day if you like. I
shall be here myself all day to-morrow, in fact all the week, in

case Mr. Crowbillon should call."
I went home a little more cheerful, but I left word with Sarah that

I could not see either Gowing or Cummings, nor in fact anybody, if
they called in the evening. Lupin came into the parlour for a

moment with a new hat on, and asked my opinion of it. I said I was
not in the mood to judge of hats, and I did not think he was in a

position to buy a new one. Lupin replied carelessly: "I didn't
buy it; it was a present."

I have such terrible suspicions of Lupin now that I scarcely like
to ask him questions, as I dread the answers so. He, however,

saved me the trouble.
He said: "I met a friend, an old friend, that I did not quite

think a friend at the time; but it's all right. As he wisely said,
'all is fair in love and war,' and there was no reason why we

should not be friends still. He's a jolly, good, all-round sort of
fellow, and a very different stamp from that inflated fool of a

Perkupp."
I said: "Hush, Lupin! Do not pray add insult to injury."

Lupin said: "What do you mean by injury? I repeat, I have done no
injury. Crowbillon is simply tired of a stagnant stick-in-the-mud

firm, and made the change on his own account. I simply recommended
the new firm as a matter of biz - good old biz!"

I said quietly: "I don't understand your slang, and at my time of
life have no desire to learn it; so, Lupin, my boy, let us change

the subject. I will, if it please you, TRY and be interested in
your new hat adventure."

Lupin said: "Oh! there's nothing much about it, except I have not
once seen him since his marriage, and he said he was very pleased

to see me, and hoped we should be friends. I stood a drink to
cement the friendship, and he stood me a new hat - one of his own."

I said rather wearily: "But you have not told me your old friend's
name?"

Lupin said, with affectedcarelessness: "Oh didn't I? Well, I
will. It was MURRAY POSH."

May 14. - Lupin came down late, and seeing me at home all the
morning, asked the reason of it. Carrie and I both agreed it was

better to say nothing to him about the letter I was writing, so I
evaded the question.

Lupin went out, saying he was going to lunch with Murray Posh in
the City. I said I hoped Mr. Posh would provide him with a berth.

Lupin went out laughing, saying: "I don't mind WEARING Posh's one-
priced hats, but I am not going to SELL them." Poor boy, I fear he

is perfectly hopeless.
It took me nearly the whole day to write to Mr. Crowbillon. Once

or twice I asked Carrie for suggestions; and although it seems
ungrateful, her suggestions were none of them to the point, while

one or two were absolutely idiotic. Of course I did not tell her
so. I got the letter off, and took it down to the office for Mr.

Perkupp to see, but he again repeated that he could trust me.
Gowing called in the evening, and I was obliged to tell him about

Lupin and Mr. Perkupp; and, to my surprise, he was quite inclined
to side with Lupin. Carrie joined in, and said she thought I was

taking much too melancholy a view of it. Gowing produced a pint
sample-bottle of Madeira, which had been given him, which he said

would get rid of the blues. I dare say it would have done so if
there had been more of it; but as Gowing helped himself to three

glasses, it did not leave much for Carrie and me to get rid of the
blues with.

May 15. - A day of great anxiety, for I expected every moment a
letter from Mr. Crowbillon. Two letters came in the evening - one

for me, with "Crowbillon Hall" printed in large gold-and-red
letters on the back of the envelope; the other for Lupin, which I

felt inclined to open and read, as it had "Gylterson, Sons, and Co.
Limited," which was the recommended firm. I trembled as I opened

Mr. Crowbillon's letter. I wrote him sixteen pages, closely
written; he wrote me less than sixteen lines.

His letter was: "Sir, - I totallydisagree with you. Your son, in
the course of five minutes' conversation, displayed more

intelligence than your firm has done during the last five years. -
Yours faithfully, Gilbert E. Gillam O. Crowbillon."

What am I to do? Here is a letter that I dare not show to Mr.
Perkupp, and would not show to Lupin for anything. The crisis had

yet to come; for Lupin arrived, and, opening his letter, showed a
cheque for 25 pounds as a commission for the recommendation of Mr.

Crowbillon, whose custom to Mr. Perkupp is evidently lost for ever.
Cummings and Gowing both called, and both took Lupin's part.

Cummings went so far as to say that Lupin would make a name yet. I
suppose I was melancholy, for I could only ask: "Yes, but what

sort of a name?"
May 16. - I told Mr. Perkupp the contents of the letter in a

modified form, but Mr. Perkupp said: "Pray don't discuss the
matter; it is at an end. Your son will bring his punishment upon

himself." I went home in the evening, thinking of the hopeless
future of Lupin. I found him in most extravagant spirits and in

evening dress. He threw a letter on the table for me to read.
To my amazement, I read that Gylterson and Sons had absolutely

engaged Lupin at a salary of 200 pounds a year, with other
advantages. I read the letter through three times and thought it

must have been for me. But there it was - Lupin Pooter - plain
enough. I was silent. Lupin said: "What price Perkupp now? You

take my tip, Guv. - 'off' with Perkupp and freeze on to Gylterson,
the firm of the future! Perkupp's firm? The stagnant dummies have

been standing still for years, and now are moving back. I want to
go on. In fact I must go OFF, as I am dining with the Murray Poshs

to-night."
In the exuberance of his spirits he hit his hat with his stick,

gave a loud war "Whoo-oop," jumped over a chair, and took the
liberty of rumpling my hair all over my forehead, and bounced out

of the room, giving me no chance of reminding him of his age and
the respect which was due to his parent. Gowing and Cummings came

in the evening, and positively cheered me up with congratulations
respecting Lupin.

Gowing said: "I always said he would get on, and, take my word, he
has more in his head than we three put together."

Carrie said: "He is a second Hardfur Huttle."
CHAPTER XXII.

Master Percy Edgar Smith James. Mrs. James (of Sutton) visits us
again and introduces "Spiritual Seances."