its employees. In quality it was bad, and the bread-and-butter
associated with it was worse. But it had the merit of giving one an
excuse for being away from one's desk. There were large printed notices
all over the tea-room, which was in the basement, informing gentlemen
that they were only allowed ten minutes for tea, but one took just as
long as one thought the head of one's department would stand, from
twenty-five minutes to an hour and a quarter.

This state of things was too good to last. Towards the beginning of the
New Year a new man arrived, and Mike was moved on to another
department.




14. Mr Waller Appears in a New Light


The department into which Mike was sent was the Cash, or, to be more
exact, that section of it which was known as Paying Cashier. The
important task of shooting doubloons across the counter did not belong
to Mike himself, but to Mr Waller. Mike's work was less ostentatious,
and was performed with pen, ink, and ledgers in the background.
Occasionally, when Mr Waller was out at lunch, Mike had to act as
substitute for him, and cash cheques; but Mr Waller always went out at
a slack time, when few customers came in, and Mike seldom had any very
startling sum to hand over.

He enjoyed being in the Cash Department. He liked Mr Waller. The work
was easy; and when he did happen to make mistakes, they were corrected