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21
I
was
half-an-hour
late
at
the
office
,
a
thing
that
has
never
happened
to
me
before
.
There
has
recently
been
much
irregularity
in
the
attendance
of
the
clerks
,
and
Mr.
Perkupp
,
our
principal
,
unfortunately
choose
this
very
morning
to
pounce
down
upon
us
early
.
Someone
had
given
the
tip
to
the
others
.
The
result
was
that
I
was
the
only
one
late
of
the
lot
.
Buckling
,
one
of
the
senior
clerks
,
was
a
brick
,
and
I
was
saved
by
his
intervention
.
As
I
passed
by
Pitt
's
desk
,
I
heard
him
remark
to
his
neighbour
:
"
How
disgracefully
late
some
of
the
head
clerks
arrive
!
"
This
was
,
of
course
,
meant
for
me
.
I
treated
the
observation
with
silence
,
simply
giving
him
a
look
,
which
unfortunately
had
the
effect
of
making
both
of
the
clerks
laugh
.
Thought
afterwards
it
would
have
been
more
dignified
if
I
had
pretended
not
to
have
heard
him
at
all
.
Cummings
called
in
the
evening
,
and
we
played
dominoes
.
22
April
12
.
--
Mustard-and-cress
and
radishes
not
come
up
yet
.
Left
Farmerson
repairing
the
scraper
,
but
when
I
came
home
found
three
men
working
.
I
asked
the
meaning
of
it
,
and
Farmerson
said
that
in
making
a
fresh
hole
he
had
penetrated
the
gas-pipe
.
He
said
it
was
a
most
ridiculous
place
to
put
the
gas-pipe
,
and
the
man
who
did
it
evidently
knew
nothing
about
his
business
.
I
felt
his
excuse
was
no
consolation
for
the
expense
I
shall
be
put
to
.
23
In
the
evening
,
after
tea
,
Gowing
dropped
in
,
and
we
had
a
smoke
together
in
the
breakfast-parlour
.
Carrie
joined
us
later
,
but
did
not
stay
long
,
saying
the
smoke
was
too
much
for
her
.
It
was
also
rather
too
much
for
me
,
for
Gowing
had
given
me
what
he
called
a
green
cigar
,
one
that
his
friend
Shoemach
had
just
brought
over
from
America
.
The
cigar
did
n't
look
green
,
but
I
fancy
I
must
have
done
so
;
for
when
I
had
smoked
a
little
more
than
half
I
was
obliged
to
retire
on
the
pretext
of
telling
Sarah
to
bring
in
the
glasses
.
Отключить рекламу
24
I
took
a
walk
round
the
garden
three
or
four
times
,
feeling
the
need
of
fresh
air
.
On
returning
Gowing
noticed
I
was
not
smoking
:
offered
me
another
cigar
,
which
I
politely
declined
.
Gowing
began
his
usual
sniffing
,
so
,
anticipating
him
,
I
said
:
"
You
're
not
going
to
complain
of
the
smell
of
paint
again
?
"
He
said
:
"
No
,
not
this
time
;
but
I
'll
tell
you
what
,
I
distinctly
smell
dry
rot
.
"
I
do
n't
often
make
jokes
,
but
I
replied
:
"
You
're
talking
a
lot
of
dry
rot
yourself
.
"
I
could
not
help
roaring
at
this
,
and
Carrie
said
her
sides
quite
ached
with
laughter
.
I
never
was
so
immensely
tickled
by
anything
I
have
ever
said
before
.
I
actually
woke
up
twice
during
the
night
,
and
laughed
till
the
bed
shook
.
25
April
13
.
--
An
extraordinary
coincidence
:
Carrie
had
called
in
a
woman
to
make
some
chintz
covers
for
our
drawing-room
chairs
and
sofa
to
prevent
the
sun
fading
the
green
rep
of
the
furniture
.
I
saw
the
woman
,
and
recognised
her
as
a
woman
who
used
to
work
years
ago
for
my
old
aunt
at
Clapham
.
It
only
shows
how
small
the
world
is
.
26
April
14
.
--
Spent
the
whole
of
the
afternoon
in
the
garden
,
having
this
morning
picked
up
at
a
bookstall
for
fivepence
a
capital
little
book
,
in
good
condition
,
on
Gardening
.
I
procured
and
sowed
some
half-hardy
annuals
in
what
I
fancy
will
be
a
warm
,
sunny
border
.
I
thought
of
a
joke
,
and
called
out
Carrie
.
Carrie
came
out
rather
testy
,
I
thought
.
I
said
:
"
I
have
just
discovered
we
have
got
a
lodging-house
.
"
She
replied
:
"
How
do
you
mean
?
"
I
said
:
"
Look
at
the
boarders
.
"
Carrie
said
:
"
Is
that
all
you
wanted
me
for
?
"
I
said
:
"
Any
other
time
you
would
have
laughed
at
my
little
pleasantry
.
"
Carrie
said
:
"
Certainly
--
at
any
other
time
,
but
not
when
I
am
busy
in
the
house
.
"
The
stairs
looked
very
nice
.
Gowing
called
,
and
said
the
stairs
looked
all
right
,
but
it
made
the
banisters
look
all
wrong
,
and
suggested
a
coat
of
paint
on
them
also
,
which
Carrie
quite
agreed
with
.
I
walked
round
to
Putley
,
and
fortunately
he
was
out
,
so
I
had
a
good
excuse
to
let
the
banisters
slide
.
By-the-by
,
that
is
rather
funny
.
27
April
15
,
Sunday
.
--
At
three
o'clock
Cummings
and
Gowing
called
for
a
good
long
walk
over
Hampstead
and
Finchley
,
and
brought
with
them
a
friend
named
Stillbrook
.
We
walked
and
chatted
together
,
except
Stillbrook
,
who
was
always
a
few
yards
behind
us
staring
at
the
ground
and
cutting
at
the
grass
with
his
stick
.
Отключить рекламу
28
As
it
was
getting
on
for
five
,
we
four
held
a
consultation
,
and
Gowing
suggested
that
we
should
make
for
"
The
Cow
and
Hedge
"
and
get
some
tea
.
Stillbrook
said
:
"
A
brandy-and-soda
was
good
enough
for
him
.
29
"
I
reminded
them
that
all
public-houses
were
closed
till
six
o'clock
.
Stillbrook
said
,
"
That
's
all
right
--
bona-fide
travellers
.
"
30
We
arrived
;
and
as
I
was
trying
to
pass
,
the
man
in
charge
of
the
gate
said
:
"
Where
from
?
"
I
replied
:
"
Holloway
.
"
He
immediately
put
up
his
arm
,
and
declined
to
let
me
pass
.
I
turned
back
for
a
moment
,
when
I
saw
Stillbrook
,
closely
followed
by
Cummings
and
Gowing
,
make
for
the
entrance
.
I
watched
them
,
and
thought
I
would
have
a
good
laugh
at
their
expense
,
I
heard
the
porter
say
:
"
Where
from
?
"
When
,
to
my
surprise
,
in
fact
disgust
,
Stillbrook
replied
:
"
Blackheath
,
"
and
the
three
were
immediately
admitted
.