My Friend Smith Part 28

I was, however, greatly impressed with Jack's cool treatment of the whole affair. I would as soon have dreamed of refusing to go an errand for Doubleday or Wallop as of flying. The office, I knew full well, would soon be made pretty hot for me if I did, and it was a marvel how Jack apparently got over the difficulty so easily. He was one of those fellows, you know, who seem to care absolutely nothing about what others think of them. It's all one if fellows hate them or love them, and as for being influenced by any desire to cultivate the good graces of one's neighbours, you might as well expect a bear to cultivate the good graces of a porpoise.

I soon began to suspect that Jack was not altogether comfortable in his new quarters, although he never hinted to the contrary. There were vague rumours which came across the part.i.tion of uncomfortableness which silently went on, and in which Jack took a prominent part; and an event which happened just a week after our arrival made the thing certain.

One morning, Mr Barnacle, apparently in a great hurry, looked in at the Import door and called out, "Smith, make me three copies of Elmore's last consignment, at once, on foreign paper."

"Yes, sir," said Jack.

After a pause, I heard him say, "Will you lend me that entry-book, please, Harris, to make the copies from?"

"No," curtly replied Harris; "I'm using it."

"But Mr Barnacle says he must have it at once."

"I can't help that," said Harris.

"That's right, Harris!" said another voice; "pay him out for his beastly, selfish ill-nature!"

"Will you lend me the book, Harris?" again demanded Jack, in tones which I could tell were fast losing their calmness.

"No, I won't! and what's more, shut up your row!" replied Harris.

There was a pause, then I heard Jack get off his stool and march boldly to the door. He came out and pa.s.sed solemnly through our office to the door of Mr Barnacle's room, which he entered.

Next moment Mr Barnacle came out, very red in the face, and demanded, in a loud voice, "Who is it using the entry-book? Didn't you hear me say the copies were to be made at once, sir? Let Smith have the book."

"It's on his desk," replied Harris, meekly. "I was only ruling off the last line, to show where the account ended."

"Copy it at once," said Mr Barnacle, sharply; "the papers have to be down before twelve, and here's five minutes wasted already."

Smith silently went to work, and Mr Barnacle withdrew.

"Vile young sneak!" I heard Harris say; "I'll pay you out for that!"

"I didn't want to sneak. You should have given me the book," replied Jack solemnly.

"I'll give you _something_, see if I don't!" was the reply.

I believe Jack did receive this promised something. He did not come out at mid-day till late, and then he was pale and flurried.

"Has Harris been bullying you?" I said.

"Been doing his best," replied Jack, gloomily. "I don't much care for him."

This was quite enough. I could guess what it meant.

"I suppose you think I was a fearful sneak?" said Jack.

"No I don't, old man!" said I.

I had, I must confess, felt a little doubtful on the subject; but, then, what else could he have done?

"I'm sorry I did it now," said Jack solemnly; "I sha'n't do it again."

"What else could you do?" I asked.

"I shall have to knock Harris down, I suppose," said Jack, so seriously that I stared at him in bewilderment.

Without doubt my poor chum was preparing a warm time for himself with the Imports at Merrett, Barnacle, and Company's!

That same evening he entered on his new quarters at Mrs Nash's, greatly to my joy, and greatly to the disgust of everybody else.

Horncastle, who had recovered from his temporary fright for the cooling of his sausages, was specially loud in his remonstrances.

"It's no use your coming here," he said, advancing in a menacing way towards Jack on his arrival. "We aren't going to have you--there!"

And with that, as in my case, he emphasised his remark with a smart kick on Jack's shins.

Jack was not a short-tempered fellow, but this unprovoked a.s.sault startled him out of his usual composure.

"You'd better not do that again," said he, glaring at his adversary.

Horncastle did _not_ do it again. I don't know what it was, but at those words, and the glare that accompanied them, his foot, already raised for further action, dropped quietly beside the other.

"I shall do it again if I choose," he said surlily.

"Then you'd better not choose," quietly said Jack.

"You've got no business here, that's what I say," exclaimed Horncastle, falling back upon a safer line of attack.

"Why haven't I?" said Jack. "I'm a clerk like you."

"And you call yourself a gentleman too, I suppose?" sneered the other.

Jack always fired up when any reference of this kind was made.

"I don't want _you_ to tell me whether I am," he retorted.

"Why, he's a regular cad," cried some one. "I know him well; I saw him selling penn'orths of nuts a week or two ago in the Borough."

"You hear that," said Horncastle, turning to Jack. "Was it so?"

"I don't see what it's got to do with you," replied Jack; "but if you want to know, I was."

"I thought so! I thought so!" exclaimed Horncastle; "a wretched shop- boy! Ugh! get away from me."

And by one consent the company followed the example of their leader and left poor Jack isolated in a corner of the room, with only me to stand by him.

But he was not greatly afflicted by the incident, and made no attempt to a.s.sert his rights further. And after all we got on very well and had a very jolly evening without the help of Mr Horncastle and his friends, and slept quite as soundly after our day's excitement as if we had been in the wholesale line all our lives.