chairs—­really that was all.  The emptiness and tidiness surprised him, and he began to wonder what the Postmaster-General’s room was like.  Surely there would be richer furniture and more litter of business there.  Then, with a little nervous jerk, as of his internal machinery starting again after a breakdown, he felt how utterly absurd it was to be thinking about chairs and desks at such a moment.  He must pull himself together, or he was going to make an ass of himself.

“Now, if you please.”  They were calling him to the table.  He slowly marched across to them, and stood with folded hands.

“Well now, Mr. Dale.”  The Colonel was speaking, while Sir John read some letters handed to him by the secretary.  “We have gone into this matter very carefully, and I may tell you at once that we have come to certain conclusions.”

“Yes, sir.”  Dale found himself obliged to clear his throat before uttering the two words.  His voice had grown husky since he last spoke.

“You have caused us a lot of trouble—­really an immense amount of trouble.”

Dale looked at the Colonel unflinchingly, and his voice was all right this time.  “Trouble, sir, is a thing we can’t none of us get away from—­not even in private affairs, much less in public affairs.”

“No; but there is what is called taking trouble, and there is what is called making trouble.”

“And the best public servants, Mr. Dale”—­this was Sir John, who had unexpectedly raised his eyes—­“are those who take most and make least;” and he lowered his eyes and went on reading the documents.

“First,” said the Colonel, “there is your correspondence with the staff at Rodhaven.  Here it is.  We have gone through it carefully—­and there’s plenty of it.  Well, the plain fact is, it has not impressed us favorably—­that is, so far as you are concerned.”

“Sorry to hear it, sir.”

“No, I must say that the tone of your letters does not appear to be quite what it should be.”

“Indeed, sir.  I thought I followed the usual forms.”

“That may be.  It is not the form, but the spirit.  There is an arrogance—­a determination not to brook censure.”

“No censure was offered, sir.”

“No, but your tone implied that you would not in any circumstances accept it.”

“Only because I knew I hadn’t merited it, sir.”

“But don’t you see that subordination becomes impossible when each officer—­”

Sir John interrupted his colleague.

“Mr. Dale, perhaps short words will be more comprehensible to you than long ones.”

Dale flushed, and spoke hurriedly.

“I’m not without education, sir—­as my record shows.  I won the Rowland Hill Fourth Class Annual and the Divisional Prize for English composition.”

Sir John and the Colonel exchanged a significant glance; and Dale, making a clumsy bow, went on very submissively.  “However you are good enough to word it, sir, I shall endeavor to understand.”