In fact, it was rather the reverse, you will say, when I tell you what it consisted in.
Some eight of us were engaged from ten to four o'clock every day, six mortal hours, in checking a lot of old accounts, and bills, that had been paid and settled years before.
There was no benefit to be derived by the country, even if we _did_ detect an error of calculation, which was rarely the case; for, the money would not be refunded, be never-so-many minutes made of the incident--the parties concerned being commonly scattered all over the globe, and, if appealed to, would probably reply that they knew nothing now about the circumstance, and cared less, most likely.
And yet, there were we, day after day, made to go over and over these old vouchers, comparing them with ledgers and store-books, and all sorts of references, for no earthly good whatever! It is thus, that much time is wasted and unrequired labour paid for in the public service, when, by judiciously doing away with unnecessary work, the number of clerks might be economised, and their labour consequently better remunerated.
You can't get men to become interested in unprofitable work.
My comrades in the Obstructor General's Office were jolly and cheerful enough, and old Smudge not too exacting and fault-finding.

After a little experience, I managed to arrive at the knowledge of the exact amount of work which would satisfy him.

If one did more than this, he thought you much too pushing a fellow to belong to his slow, steady- going branch; and if less, why, you were an idle person, not worth your salt.
But, the whole thing was very tedious and dry to me.

I could, get through Smudge's quantum of accounts easily in half my time:--the rest of my hours hung heavily on my hands.
One can't read the _Times_ all day, you know.

The very obligation, too, to be tied down to a certain routine and chained to a desk, galled me.
I could have accomplished ten times the amount of labour I did, if I had been allowed to do it at my own convenience, and not forced to the ten to four regime.
I was always thinking of Min, also, and fretting at her absence--for, she did not come back to Saint Canon's for months after I got my appointment.
My whole thoughts were filled with her image.