"Ah, you may grin," grumbled my companion; "but just you have your head
knocked again' the desk, and just you see if it wouldn't make your eyes
water."
At that moment the door was opened with a snatch.
"Silence there! You, Gordon, will you go on with your work?"
The door was banged before I could have answered. Not that I should
have said anything. But as soon as the door clicked Esau went on again
without subduing his voice--
"I ain't afraid of him--cheating old knocktioneer! Thinks he's a right
to knock everybody down 'cause he's got a licence."
"Go on with your work," I whispered, "or he'll come back."
"Let him; I don't care. I ain't afraid. It was all your fault for
going out."
"And yours for being asleep."
"I can't help my head being heavy. Mother says it's because I've got so
much brains. But I'll serve him out. I'll make all the mistakes I can,
and he'll have to pay for them being corrected."
"What good will that do?"
"I dunno; but I'll serve him out. He shan't hit me. I say, what did
you go out to buy?"
"Nothing. I went out to speak to that gentleman who came."
"What gentleman who came?"
"While you were asleep."
"There you go! You're as bad as old Knock-'em-down. Fellow's only got
to shut his eyes, and you say he's asleep. But I don't care.
Everybody's again' me, but I'll serve 'em out."
"You'd better go on with your writing."
"Shan't. Go on with yours. I know. I'll 'list--that's what I'll do.
Like to see old Going-going touch me then!"
There was a busy interval of writing, during which something seemed to
ask me why I let Mr Dempster behave so brutally to me, and I began
wondering whether I was a coward. I felt that I could not be as brave
as Esau, or I should have resisted.
"Not half a chap, you ain't!" said my companion, suddenly.
"Why?"
"You'd say you'd come with me. Deal better to be soldiers than always
scrawling down Lot 104 on paper."
"I don't want to be a soldier," I said.
"No; you're not half a chap. Only wait a bit. I'd ha' gone long ago if
it hadn't been for mother."
"Yes; she wouldn't like you to go."
"How do you know?"
"Mrs Dean told me so. She said you were mad about red-coats."
"That's just like mother," said Esau, with a grin, "allus wrong. I
don't want to wear a red coat. Blue's my colour."
"What--a sailor?" I said quickly.
"Get out! Sailor! all tar and taller. I'm not going to pull ropes. I
mean blue uniform--'Tillery--Horse Artillery. They do look fine. I've
seen 'em lots o' times."
"Here, you two, I'm going out. I shall be back in five minutes," said
Mr Dempster, so suddenly that he made us both start. "Look sharp and
get that work done."
He stood drawing a yellow silk handkerchief round and round his hat,
which was already as bright as it could be made, and then setting it on
very much on one side, he gave his silk umbrella a flourish, touched his
diamond pin with the tip of his well-gloved finger, and strutted out.
"Back in five minutes! Yah!" cried Esau. "It's all gammon about being
honest and getting on."
"No, it isn't," I said, as I carefully dotted a few i's.
"Yes, it is. Look at him--makes lots o' money, and he cheats people and
tells more lies in a day than I've told in all my life."
"Nonsense!"
"Tain't. He's a regular bad 'un. Back in five minutes! Why he won't
come till it's time to go, and then he'll keep us waiting so as to get
all the work he can out of us."
But that time Esau was wrong, for in about five minutes the outer door
was opened, and our employer thrust in his head.
"There's a letter on my table to post, Gordon," he said. "Be sure it
goes."
"Yes, sir," I said, and as the door closed again I looked at Esau and
laughed.
"Oh, I don't mind," he said. "That wasn't coming back. He only looked
in to see if we were at work. I shan't stop here; I shall 'list."
"No, you will not," I said, as I went on writing quietly.
"Oh, yes, I shall. You can go on lodging with the old woman, for you
won't be the chap to come with me."
"You won't go," I said.
"Ah, you'll see. You don't mean to stop here, do you, and be bullied
and knocked about?"
I went on writing and thinking of how dearly I should have liked to go
somewhere else, for my life was very miserable with Mr Dempster; but I
always felt as if it would be cowardly to give up, and I had stayed on,
though that day's experience was very like those which had gone before.
We had both finished our tasks an hour before Mr Dempster returned,
nearly an hour after closing time, and even then he spent a long time in
criticising the writing and finding fault, concluding by ordering Esau
to go round with the catalogue he had made out to the printer's.
"There's a master for you!" cried my fellow-clerk, as we went up into
the main street. "I shan't stand it. I'm going for a soldier."