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Doubleday looked at me with something like amazement as I made this request, which, however, he promised to fulfil, and then waited on Mr Merrett in the partners' room. However, he returned almost immediately, and said he was to wait until Mr Barnacle came back. It seemed ages before that event happened.
They both listened attentively, eyeing me keenly all the time, and betraying no sign in their faces whether they believed me or not. "Then you mean to say," said Mr Merrett, when it was done, "that you were not in this room at all?" "Yes, I never entered it." "Were you ever in this room without our knowledge?" "Yes, a fortnight ago.
"So it is, to be sure," exclaimed I, who, of course, knew it all along, and had only raised the alarm in order to interrupt Doubleday's awkward talk. "Thanks." This expedient of mine, disingenuous as it was, was successful. Before Doubleday could get back to his desk and take up the thread of his conversation where he left it, Mr Merrett entered the office.
Mr Barnacle, who after his lecture had treated me gruffly and abruptly for some days, began again to treat me civilly, and Mr Merrett bestowed once or twice a special commendation on my industry.
With which the stately youth marched on, his nose higher in the air than ever. I was not greatly reassured by this first introduction, but for the time being I was too intent on reaching Merrett, Barnacle, and Company's in good time to think of much beside. Fortunately my fellow-lodger's direction was correct, and in a few minutes I found myself standing on familiar ground in Hawk Street.
When Mr Merrett arrived he went as usual to say good-morning to his uncle, and as usual followed him into the partners' room, to receive such letters as might require answering. I wished Doubleday had not been called down to the docks this morning of all others. He would have told me in a moment what I ought to do, or, which came to the same thing, what he would have done in my place.
Batchelor, take this book and follow Mr Doubleday to the counting-house." "Do it as well as you can, without any help," mildly put in Mr Merrett, by way of encouragement. I followed my conductor in a state of terrible trepidation, feeling that all this wasn't a bit like what I had expected my interview with Messrs. Merrett, Barnacle, and Company to be.
"Yes at least I have been told so." "By whom?" "By a boy a shoeblack who " "A shoeblack!" exclaimed Mr Merrett. "Is that your only authority?" "I believe he is honest," I said; "he overheard a conversation between Masham and a friend, in which Masham mentioned that Hawkesbury owed him £15." "Really," said Mr Merrett, "this is almost absurd to take such testimony as that."
Mr Barnacle, indeed, did say something about its being awkward just when they were so busy to do without a clerk. But Mr Merrett overruled this by reminding his partner that in a week or two his nephew would be coming to the office, and that, to begin with, he could fill up the vacant place.
Locksley was conservative in its habits, and would probably have continued to support the old firm. As it was, the baffled Merrett, a youth of vindictive nature, brooded over his defeat, and presently hit upon a scheme whereby things might be levelled up. One afternoon, shortly before lock-up, Dunstable was surprised by the advent of Linton to his study in a bruised and dishevelled condition.
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