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           —Farmersoncameroundtoattendtothescraperhimself.Heseemsaverycivilfellow.Hesayshedoesnotusuallyconductsuchsmalljobspersonally,butformehewoulddoso.Ithankedhim,andwenttotown.Itisdisgracefulhowlatesomeoftheyoungclerksareatarriving.ItoldthreeofthemthatifMr.Perkupp,theprincipal,heardofit,theymightbedischarged.

           Pitt,amonkeyofseventeen,whohasonlybeenwithussixweeks,toldme“tokeepmyhairon!”IinformedhimIhadhadthehonourofbeinginthefirmtwentyyears,towhichheinsolentlyrepliedthatI“lookedit.”Igavehimanindignantlook,andsaid:“Idemandfromyousomerespect,sir.”Hereplied:“Allright,goondemanding.”Iwouldnotarguewithhimanyfurther.Youcannotarguewithpeoplelikethat.IntheeveningGowingcalled,andrepeatedhiscomplaintaboutthesmellofpaint.Gowingissometimesverytediouswithhisremarks,andnotalwayscautious;andCarrieonceveryproperlyremindedhimthatshewaspresent.

           April11.—Mustard-and-cressandradishesnotcomeupyet.To-daywasadayofannoyances.Imissedthequarter-to-nine’bustotheCity,throughhavingwordswiththegrocer’sboy,whoforthesecondtimehadtheimpertinencetobringhisbaskettothehall-door,andhadleftthemarksofhisdirtybootsonthefresh-cleaneddoor-steps.Hesaidhehadknockedatthesidedoorwithhisknucklesforaquarterofanhour.