“ ‘A hundred and six and a quarter to a hundred and five and seven-eighths.’

“ ‘And New Zealand consolidated?’

“ ‘A hundred and four.

“ ‘And British Broken Hills?’

“ ‘Seven to seven-and-six.’

“ ‘Wonderful!’ he cried, with his hands up. ‘This quite fits in with all that I had heard. My boy, my boy, you are very much too good to be a clerk at Mawson’s!’

“This outburst rather astonished me, as you can think. ‘Well,’ said I, ‘other people don’t think quite so much of me as you seem to do, Mr. Pinner. I had a hard enough fight to get this berth, and I am very glad to have it.’