“And is he to walk in here, and say, 'I 'm first for service; I don't care whether you like it or not'?”
“He 's listening to you all this while,—are you aware of that?” whispered Vance; on which the other grew very red in the face, took off his spectacles, wiped and replaced them, and then, addressing Tony, said, “Go away, sir,—leave the Office.”
“Mr. Brand means that you need not wait,” said Vance, approaching Tony. “All you have to do is to leave your town address here, in the outer office, and come up once or twice a day.”
“And as to this examination,” said Tony, stoutly, “it's better I should say once for all—”
“It's better you should just say nothing at all,” said the other, good-humoredly, as he slipped his arm inside of Tony's and led him away. “You see,” whispered he, “my friend Mr. Brand is hasty.”
“I should think he is hasty!” growled out Tony.
“But he is a warm-hearted—a truly warm-hearted man—”
“Warm enough he seems.”
“When you know him better—”
“I don't want to know him better!” burst in Tony. “I got into a scrape already with just such another: he was collector for the port of Derry, and I threw him out of the window, and all the blame was laid upon me!”