Life in London | Page 2

being clothed only as
respectable as we can afford, is there?"
"Not a bit, mother: and I feel so vexed with myself because I knew I
turned red, which made the two clerks smile. But I must go on telling
you what else I saw. The old gentleman seems quite a character--he is
nearly bald, has got no whiskers, wears a big white neckcloth and a tail
coat, and takes snuff every five minutes out of a silver box. Whether he
knows it or not, the clerks are very rude to him: for when he took snuff,
one of them sneezed, or pretended to sneeze, every time, and another
snuffled, as if he were taking snuff too."
"That certainly does not speak well for the clerks," said Mrs. Weston.
"Old gentlemen do have peculiar ways sometimes, but it is not right for
young people to ridicule them."

"No, it is not; and I don't like to see people do a thing behind another
one's back they are afraid to do before his face. When the clerks had to
speak to the old gentleman, they were as civil as possible, and said,
'Yes, sir,' and 'No, sir,' to him so meekly, as if they were quite afraid of
him; but after a little while, when he took up his hat and went out, they
all began talking and laughing out loud, although when he was there,
they had only occasionally spoken in low whispers. There was only one
young man, out of the whole lot, who did not join with them, but kept
at his work; and I thought if I got a situation in that office, I should try
and make friends with him."
"That's right, George. I would rather you should not have a situation at
all, than get mixed up with bad companions. But go on, I am so anxious
to hear what Mr. Compton said."
"Well, after half-an-hour, I heard a door in the next room close, and a
table-bell touched, and then the old gentleman, who had by this time
returned, went in Presently he came out again, and said Mr. Compton
would see me. Oh, mother! I felt so funny, you don't know. My mouth
got quite dry, my face flushed, and I couldn't think whatever I should
say, I felt just as I did that day at the school examination, when I had to
make one of the prize speeches. But I got all to rights directly I saw Mr.
Compton. He said, 'Good morning to you--be seated,' in such a nice
way, that I felt at home with him at once."
"And what did you say to him, George?"
"I had learnt by heart what I was going to say, but in the hurry I had
forgotten every word. So I said, 'My name is--' (it's a wonder I did not
say Norval, for I felt a bit bewildered at the sound of my own voice)
'--my name is George Weston, sir, and I have brought you a letter from
my uncle, Mr. Henry Brunton, who knows you, I think.' 'Oh! yes," he
said, 'he knows me very well; and, if I mistake not, this letter is about
you, for he was talking to me about a nephew the other day.' Isn't that
just like Uncle Henry?--he never said anything about that to us, but he
is so good and kind, we are always finding out some of his generous
actions, about which he never speaks. While Mr. Compton was reading
the letter, I had leisure to look at him, and at his room. He is such a

fine-looking old man, just like that picture we saw in the Academy, last
year, of the village squire. He looks as if he were very benevolent and
kind-hearted, and he dresses just like some of the country gentlemen,
with a dark green coat and velvet collar, a frill shirt, and a little bit of
buf. waistcoat seen under his coat, which he keeps buttoned. He had got
lots of books, and papers, and files about, and sat hi an arm-chair so
cosily--in fact, I should not have thought that nice carpeted room was
really an office, if it had not been for the ground-glass windows. Just as
I was thinking why it was the glorious sunshine is not admitted into
offices, Mr. Compton said--"
"What did he say, George? I have waited so patiently to hear."
"He said, 'Well, Mr. Weston,'--(he did really call me Mr. Weston,
mother; I suppose he took me for a young man: it is evident he did not
know I was wearing a stick-up shirt collar for the first time in my
life)--'I have read this letter, and am inclined to think I may be able to
do something for you.' That