"I'm not so young moreover as that comes to." "How old are you then, pray ?" "Why I'm thirty-four." "What do you call that?
I'm a hundred and three!" Mr.Longdon at all events took out his watch.

"It's only a quarter past eleven." Then with a quick change of interest, "What did you say is your public office ?" he enquired.
"The General Audit.

I'm Deputy Chairman." "Dear!" Mr.Longdon looked at him as if he had had fifty windows.

"What a head you must have!" "Oh yes--our head's Sir Digby Dence." "And what do we do for you ?" "Well, you gild the pill--though not perhaps very thick.

But it's a decent berth." "A thing a good many fellows would give a pound of their flesh for ?" Vanderbank's visitor appeared so to deprecate too faint a picture that he dropped all scruples.