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Page 10
The most difficult parts to play in real life as well as on the stage
are those in which no 'business' is arranged for the performer. It was
all very well for Mr Bickersdyke. He had been 'discovered sitting'. But
Mike had had to enter, and he wished now that there was something he
could do instead of merely standing and speaking.
'I've come,' was the best speech he could think of. It was not a good
speech. It was too sinister. He felt that even as he said it. It was
the sort of thing Mephistopheles would have said to Faust by way of
opening conversation. And he was not sure, either, whether he ought not
to have added, 'Sir.'
Apparently such subtleties of address were not necessary, for Mr
Bickersdyke did not start up and shout, 'This language to me!' or
anything of that kind. He merely said, 'Oh! And who are you?'
'Jackson,' said Mike. It was irritating, this assumption on Mr
Bickersdyke's part that they had never met before.
'Jackson? Ah, yes. You have joined the staff?'
Mike rather liked this way of putting it. It lent a certain dignity to
the proceedings, making him feel like some important person for whose
services there had been strenuous competition. He seemed to see the
bank's directors being reassured by the chairman. ('I am happy to say,
gentlemen, that our profits for the past year are 3,000,006-2-2 1/2
pounds--(cheers)--and'--impressively--'that we have finally succeeded
in inducing Mr Mike Jackson--(sensation)--to--er--in fact, to join the
staff!' (Frantic cheers, in which the chairman joined.)
'Yes,' he said.
Mr Bickersdyke pressed a bell on the table beside him, and picking up a
pen, began to write. Of Mike he took no further notice, leaving that
toy of Fate standing stranded in the middle of the room.
After a few moments one of the men in fancy dress, whom Mike had seen
hanging about the gangway, and whom he afterwards found to be
messengers, appeared. Mr Bickersdyke looked up.
'Ask Mr Bannister to step this way,' he said.
The messenger disappeared, and presently the door opened again to admit
a shock-headed youth with paper cuff-protectors round his wrists.
'This is Mr Jackson, a new member of the staff. He will take your place
in the postage department. You will go into the cash department, under
Mr Waller. Kindly show him what he has to do.'
Mike followed Mr Bannister out. On the other side of the door the
shock-headed one became communicative.
'Whew!' he said, mopping his brow. 'That's the sort of thing which
gives me the pip. When William came and said old Bick wanted to see me,
I said to him, "William, my boy, my number is up. This is the sack." I
made certain that Rossiter had run me in for something. He's been
waiting for a chance to do it for weeks, only I've been as good as gold
and haven't given it him. I pity you going into the postage. There's
one thing, though. If you can stick it for about a month, you'll get
through all right. Men are always leaving for the East, and then you
get shunted on into another department, and the next new man goes into
the postage. That's the best of this place. It's not like one of those
banks where you stay in London all your life. You only have three years
here, and then you get your orders, and go to one of the branches in
the East, where you're the dickens of a big pot straight away, with a
big screw and a dozen native Johnnies under you. Bit of all right,
that. I shan't get my orders for another two and a half years and more,
worse luck. Still, it's something to look forward to.'
'Who's Rossiter?' asked Mike.
'The head of the postage department. Fussy little brute. Won't leave
you alone. Always trying to catch you on the hop. There's one thing,
though. The work in the postage is pretty simple. You can't make many
mistakes, if you're careful. It's mostly entering letters and stamping
them.'
They turned in at the door in the counter, and arrived at a desk which
ran parallel to the gangway. There was a high rack running along it, on
which were several ledgers. Tall, green-shaded electric lamps gave it
rather a cosy look.
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