Chapter36

afewdayslaterphilipwenttolondon.thecuratehadrecommendedroomsinbarnes,andthesephilipengagedbyletteratfourteenshillingsaweek.hereachedthemintheevening;andthelandlady,afunnylittleoldwomanwithashrivelledbodyandadeeplywrinkledface,hadpreparedhighteaforhim.mostofthesitting-roomwastakenupbythesideboardandasquaretable;againstonewallwasasofacoveredwithhorsehair,andbythefireplaceanarm-chairtomatch:therewasawhiteantimacassaroverthebackofit,andontheseat,becausethespringswerebroken,ahardcushion.

afterhavinghisteaheunpackedandarrangedhisbooks,thenhesatdownandtriedtoread;buthewasdepressed.thesilenceinthestreetmadehimslightlyuncomfortable,andhefeltverymuchalone.

nextdayhegotupearly.heputonhistail-coatandthetallhatwhichhehadwornatschool;butitwasveryshabby,andhemadeuphismindtostopatthestoresonhiswaytotheofficeandbuyanewone.whenhehaddonethishefoundhimselfinplentyoftimeandsowalkedalongthestrand.theofficeofmessrs.herbertcarter&co.wasinalittlestreetoffchancerylane,andhehadtoaskhiswaytwoorthreetimes.hefeltthatpeoplewerestaringathimagreatdeal,andoncehetookoffhishattoseewhetherbychancethelabelhadbeenlefton.whenhearrivedheknockedatthedoor;butnooneanswered,andlookingathiswatchhefounditwasbarelyhalfpastnine;hesupposedhewastooearly.hewentawayandtenminuteslaterreturnedtofindanoffice-boy,withalongnose,pimplyface,andascotchaccent,openingthedoor.philipaskedformr.herbertcarter.hehadnotcomeyet.

“whenwillhebehere?”  “betweentenandhalfpast.”

“i’dbetterwait,”saidphilip.

“whatareyouwanting?”askedtheoffice-boy.

philipwasnervous,buttriedtohidethefactbyajocosemanner.

“well,i’mgoingtoworkhereifyouhavenoobjection.”

“oh,you’rethenewarticledclerk?you’dbettercomein.mr.goodworthy’llbehereinawhile.”

philipwalkedin,andashedidsosawtheoffice-boy—hewasaboutthesameageasphilipandcalledhimselfajuniorclerk—lookathisfoot.heflushedand,sittingdown,hiditbehindtheother.helookedroundtheroom.itwasdarkandverydingy.itwaslitbyaskylight.therewerethreerowsofdesksinitandagainstthemhighstools.overthechimney-piecewasadirtyengravingofaprize-fight.presentlyaclerkcameinandthenanother;theyglancedatphilipandinanundertoneaskedtheoffice-boy(philipfoundhisnamewasmacdougal)whohewas.awhistleblew,andmacdougalgotup.

“mr.goodworthy’scome.he’sthemanagingclerk.shallitellhimyou’rehere?”

“yes,please,”saidphilip.

theoffice-boywentoutandinamomentreturned.

“willyoucomethisway?”

philipfollowedhimacrossthepassageandwasshownintoaroom,smallandbarelyfurnished,inwhichalittle,thinmanwasstandingwithhisbacktothefireplace.hewasmuchbelowthemiddleheight,buthislargehead,whichseemedtohanglooselyonhisbody,gavehimanoddungainliness.hisfeatureswerewideandflattened,andhehadprominent,paleeyes;histhinhairwassandy;heworewhiskersthatgrewunevenlyonhisface,andinplaceswhereyouwouldhaveexpectedthehairtogrowthicklytherewasnohairatall.hisskinwaspastyandyellow.heheldouthishandtophilip,andwhenhesmiledshowedbadlydecayedteeth.hespokewithapatronisingandatthesametimeatimidair,asthoughhesoughttoassumeanimportancewhichhedidnotfeel.hesaidhehopedphilipwouldlikethework;therewasagooddealofdrudgeryaboutit,butwhenyougotusedtoit,itwasinteresting;andonemademoney,thatwasthechiefthing,wasn’tit?helaughedwithhisoddmixtureofsuperiorityandshyness.

“mr.carterwillbeherepresently,”hesaid.“he’salittlelateonmondaymorningssometimes.i’llcallyouwhenhecomes.inthemeantimeimustgiveyousomethingtodo.doyouknowanythingaboutbook-keepingoraccounts?”

“i’mafraidnot,”answeredphilip.

“ididn’tsupposeyouwould.theydon’tteachyouthingsatschoolthataremuchuseinbusiness,i’mafraid.”heconsideredforamoment.“ithinkicanfindyousomethingtodo.”

hewentintothenextroomandafteralittlewhilecameoutwithalargecardboardbox.itcontainedavastnumberoflettersingreatdisorder,andhetoldphiliptosortthemoutandarrangethemalphabeticallyaccordingtothenamesofthewriters.

“i’lltakeyoutotheroominwhichthearticledclerkgenerallysits.there’saverynicefellowinit.hisnameiswatson.he’sasonofwatson,crag,andthompson—youknow—thebrewers.he’sspendingayearwithustolearnbusiness.”

mr.goodworthyledphilipthroughthedingyoffice,wherenowsixoreightclerkswereworking,intoanarrowroombehind.ithadbeenmadeintoaseparateapartmentbyaglasspartition,andheretheyfoundwatsonsittingbackinachair,readingthesportsman.hewasalarge,stoutyoungman,elegantlydressed,andhelookedupasmr.goodworthyentered.heassertedhispositionbycallingthemanagingclerkgoodworthy.themanagingclerkobjectedtothefamiliarity,andpointedlycalledhimmr.watson,butwatson,insteadofseeingthatitwasarebuke,acceptedthetitleasatributetohisgentlemanliness.

“iseethey’vescratchedrigoletto,”hesaidtophilip,assoonastheywereleftalone.

“havethey?”saidphilip,whoknewnothingabouthorse-racing.

helookedwithaweuponwatson’sbeautifulclothes.histail-coatfittedhimperfectly,andtherewasavaluablepinartfullystuckinthemiddleofanenormoustie.onthechimney-piecerestedhistallhat;itwassaucyandbell-shapedandshiny.philipfelthimselfveryshabby.watsonbegantotalkofhunting—itwassuchaninfernalborehavingtowasteone’stimeinaninfernaloffice,hewouldonlybeabletohuntonsaturdays—andshooting:hehadrippinginvitationsalloverthecountryandofcoursehehadtorefusethem.itwasinfernalluck,buthewasn’tgoingtoputupwithitlong;hewasonlyinthisinternalholeforayear,andthenhewasgoingintothebusiness,andhewouldhuntfourdaysaweekandgetalltheshootingtherewas.

“you’vegotfiveyearsofit,haven’tyou?”hesaid,wavinghisarmroundthetinyroom.

“isupposeso,”saidphilip.

“idaresayishallseesomethingofyou.carterdoesouraccounts,youknow.”

philipwassomewhatoverpoweredbytheyounggentleman’scondescension.atblackstabletheyhadalwayslookeduponbrewingwithcivilcontempt,thevicarmadelittlejokesaboutthebeerage,anditwasasurprisingexperienceforphiliptodiscoverthatwatsonwassuchanimportantandmagnificentfellow.hehadbeentowinchesterandtooxford,andhisconversationimpressedthefactupononewithfrequency.whenhediscoveredthedetailsofphilip’seducationhismannerbecamemorepatronisingstill.

“ofcourse,ifonedoesn’tgotoapublicschoolthosesortofschoolsarethenextbestthing,aren’tthey?”

philipaskedabouttheothermenintheoffice.

“oh,idon’tbotheraboutthemmuch,youknow,”saidwatson.“carter’snotabadsort.wehavehimtodinenowandthen.alltherestareawfulbounders.”

presentlywatsonappliedhimselftosomeworkhehadinhand,andphilipsetaboutsortinghisletters.thenmr.goodworthycameintosaythatmr.carterhadarrived.hetookphilipintoalargeroomnextdoortohisown.therewasabigdeskinit,andacoupleofbigarm-chairs;aturkeycarpetadornedthefloor,andthewallsweredecoratedwithsportingprints.mr.carterwassittingatthedeskandgotuptoshakehandswithphilip.hewasdressedinalongfrockcoat.helookedlikeamilitaryman;hismoustachewaswaxed,hisgrayhairwasshortandneat,heheldhimselfupright,hetalkedinabreezyway,helivedatenfield.hewasverykeenongamesandthegoodofthecountry.hewasanofficerinthehertfordshireyeomanryandchairmanoftheconservativeassociation.whenhewastoldthatalocalmagnatehadsaidnoonewouldtakehimforacityman,hefeltthathehadnotlivedinvain.hetalkedtophilipinapleasant,off-handfashion.mr.goodworthywouldlookafterhim.watsonwasanicefellow,perfectgentleman,goodsportsman—didphiliphunt?pity,thesportforgentlemen.didn’thavemuchchanceofhuntingnow,hadtoleavethattohisson.hissonwasatcambridge,he’dsenthimtorugby,fineschoolrugby,niceclassofboysthere,inacoupleofyearshissonwouldbearticled,thatwouldbeniceforphilip,he’dlikehisson,thoroughsportsman.hehopedphilipwouldgetonwellandlikethework,hemustn’tmisshislectures,theyweregettingupthetoneoftheprofession,theywantedgentlemeninit.well,well,mr.goodworthywasthere.ifhewantedtoknowanythingmr.goodworthywouldtellhim.whatwashishandwritinglike?ahwell,mr.goodworthywouldseeaboutthat.

philipwasoverwhelmedbysomuchgentlemanliness:ineastangliatheyknewwhoweregentlemenandwhoweren’t,butthegentlemendidn’ttalkaboutit.