retreating chin. His figure was inclined to be stout, and his shoulders
were slightly bent. He walked softly, and as he spoke his voice was
gentle and pleasing. There was no assertion in it, but it was perfectly
self-respecting. The eyes and voice redeemed the face from being
commonplace.

"Oh!--Mr. Clark, I did not know I should have been so long about my
work. I was so engaged getting my book straight for you, and writing--a
few cheques for my annual contributions to hospitals, etc.,--that the
time slipped by--"

The tone was unusually conciliatory for Livingstone; but he still
retained it in addressing Clark. It was partly a remnant of his old time
relation to Mr. Clark when he, yet a young man, first knew him, and
partly a recognition of Clark's position as a man of good birth who had
been unfortunate, and had a large family to support.

"Oh! that's all right, Mr. Livingstone," said the clerk, pleasantly.

He gathered up the letters on the desk and was unconsciously pressing
them into exact order.

"Shall I have these mailed or sent by a messenger?"

"Mail them, of course," said Livingstone. "And Clark, I want you to--"

"I thought possibly that, as to-morrow is--" began the clerk in
explanation, but stopped as Livingstone continued speaking without
noticing the interruption.