'What do you think of George Frederick?' asked the chief, after he had pointed out to Rob the only chair that such a stalwart reporter might safely sit on.
'He was very pleasant,' said Rob.
'Yes,' said Billy Kirker thoughtfully, 'there's nothing George Frederick wouldn't do for any one if it could be done gratis.'
'And he struck me as an enterprising sort of man.'
'"Enterprise without outlay" is the motto of this office,' said the chief.
'But the paper seems to be well conducted,' said Rob, a little crestfallen.
'The worst conducted in England,' said Kirker cheerfully.
Rob asked how the Mirror compared with the Argus.
'They have six reporters to our three,' said Kirker, 'but we do double work and beat them.'
'I suppose there is a great deal of rivalry between the staffs of the two papers?' Rob asked, for he had read of such things.