They knew how far to trust the
clerks with loans of money, doing their various commissions with absolute discretion; they pawned and took out of pawn, bought up bills when due, and lent money without interest, albeit no
clerk ever borrowed of them without returning a "gratification." These servants without a master received a salary of nine hundred francs a year; new years' gifts and "gratifications" brought their emoluments to twelve hundred francs, and they made almost as much money by serving breakfasts to the
clerks at the office.
"So you are going away again!" said the
clerk. "You are a very free and happy being; we others are chained by the leg and held fast to our desk."
The
clerks surveyed him with great curiosity, and he, not knowing well what to say to this ascending and descending scale, remained tongue-tied.
"Oh, you're the new articled
clerk? You'd better come in.
He is not the
clerk, he is not the landlord; he ranks above the
clerk, and represents the landlord, who is seldom seen.
'But personal service, by
clerk or agent, in these cases, you know, Mr.
"Nearly a month since, accident gave the
clerk in question an opportunity of looking into one of the documents on his master's table, which had attracted his attention from a slight peculiar ity in the form and color of the paper.
The other was his
clerk, assistant, housekeeper, secretary, confidential plotter, adviser, intriguer, and bill of cost increaser, Miss Brass--a kind of amazon at common law, of whom it may be desirable to offer a brief description.
I joined them, and distinctly heard the lawyer's
clerk demand a ticket for the Blackwater station I satisfied myself that he had actually left by the train before I came away.
It is not the business of a hotel reception
clerk to appear surprised at anything.
The government
clerk with the sausages begins to melt, but he, too, desires to express his sentiments, and as soon as ever he begins to express them, he begins to get hot and say nasty things, and again I'm obliged to trot out all my diplomatic talents.
With those words, the
clerk opened a door, and ushered me into an inner chamber at the back.
