sneaks off and buys a sort of woollen sunset. I saw the thing
unexpectedly. I tell you I was shaken. It is the suddenness of that
waistcoat which hits you. It's discouraging, this sort of thing. I try
always to think well of my fellow man. As an energetic Socialist, I do
my best to see the good that is in him, but it's hard. Comrade
Bristow's the most striking argument against the equality of man I've
ever come across.'

Mr Waller intervened at this point.

'I think you must really let Jackson go on with his work, Smith,' he
said. 'There seems to be too much talking.'

'My besetting sin,' said Psmith sadly. 'Well, well, I will go back and
do my best to face it, but it's a tough job.'

He tottered wearily away in the direction of the Postage Department.

'Oh, Jackson,' said Mr Waller, 'will you kindly take my place for a few
minutes? I must go round and see the Inward Bills about something. I
shall be back very soon.'

Mike was becoming accustomed to deputizing for the cashier for short
spaces of time. It generally happened that he had to do so once or
twice a day. Strictly speaking, perhaps, Mr Waller was wrong to leave
such an important task as the actual cashing of cheques to an
inexperienced person of Mike's standing; but the New Asiatic Bank
differed from most banks in that there was not a great deal of
cross-counter work. People came in fairly frequently to cash cheques
of two or three pounds, but it was rare that any very large dealings