“Sir ’Umphry, sir; he have just come to the office quite unforseen.”

Sir Humphrey Fothergill was the Parliamentary head of the office at this time.

“Sir Humphrey here!  What an extraordinary thing!”

The proper time for the appearance of this great functionary was at 4 p.m., on his way to the House and Mr. Faulks felt quite annoyed at the departure from the ordinary rule.

“Sir ’Umphry ’ave took us all aback, sir.  His own messenger, Mr. Sprott, was not in the way for the moment, and Sir ’Umphry expressed himself in rather strong terms.”

“Serve Sprott right.  But what has all that to do with me?”

“Sir ’Umphry, sir, ’ave sent, sir”—­the man could hardly bring himself to convey the message; “he ’ave sent, sir, to say he wishes to see you at once.”

“Me?  At this hour?  Impossible!”

This pestilent Sir Humphrey was upsetting every tradition of the office.

Mr. Faulks again settled himself in his arm-chair, with the air of a man who refused to move—­out of his proper groove.

“Mr. Faulks!  Mr. Faulks!” Another unseemly intrusion.  This time it was Sprott, the chief messenger, flurried and frightened, no doubt, by recent reproof.  “Sir Humphrey’s going on awful, sir; he’s rung his bell three times, and asked how long it took you to go upstairs.”

Sullenly, and sorely against his will, Mr. Faulks rose and joined his chief.

“I have asked for you several times,” said Sir Humphrey Fothergill, a much younger man than Mr. Faulks, new to official life, but a promising party politician, with a great belief in himself and his importance as a member of the House of Commons; “you must have come late.”

“Pardon me, I was here at my usual time; but in the thirty-five years that I have had the honour to serve in the Military Munition Department I never remember a Parliamentary chief who came so early as you.”

“I shall come when I choose—­in the middle of the night, if it suits me or is necessary, as is more than probable in these busy times.”

Mr. Faulks waved his hands and bowed stiffly, as much as to say that Sir Humphrey was master of his actions, but that he need not expect to see him.

“You all want stirring up here,” said Sir Humphrey abruptly.  “It is high time to give you a fillip.”

“I am not aware—­” Mr. Faulks began, in indignant protest, but his chief cut him short.

“Did you read what happened in the House last night?”

“I have only just glanced at the Times,” replied Mr. Faulks, in a melancholy voice, thinking how rudely his regular perusal of the great journal had been interrupted that morning.

“It’s not pleasant reading.  There was a set attack upon this department, and they handled us very roughly, let me tell you.  It made my ears tingle.”

“We have been abused cruelly—­unfairly abused for the last twelve months,” said Mr. Faulks with a most injured air.