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"A meeting of the House Committee."
until it seemed likely that be would split the one or break the other.
The members of the committee were unanimously of the opinion that the new manager had cast an aspersion on the club, which was not to be tolerated; so the secretary was requested to write out a check, while the manager was sent for, that he might at once hear the decision of the committee.
The chairman addressed Mr. Norton, beginning in a manner copied somewhat after the deliberative style of our best judges while pronouncing sentence, but ending abruptly, as if the traditions of the bench hampered him.
"Sir, we have considered your case with that tranquillity in which any measure affecting the welfare of our fellow-creatures should be discussed, and, dash me, sir, we've come to the conclusion that we don't want you any longer. Go!"
The chairman at the head of the table scanned malevolently the features of the offending manager, while the different heads of the committee, gray and bald, nodded acquiescence. The manager, seeing the fat was in the fire in any case, now stood up boldly for his rights. He demanded a year's notice.
"You shall have nothing of the kind, sir," replied the admiral. "It is not the custom of the club to give a year's notice."
"I don't care what the custom of the club his," rejoined Norton. "My contract calls for a year's pay if I ham dismissed."
"I don't care that for your contract," cried the admiral, bringing his stick down with a whack on the table. "The club will not change its invariable rule for you or your contract."
"Then I shall sue the club in the law courts. You will 'ear from my solicitor."
Here the admiral, rising, poured forth a stream of language which it is impossible to record, and the members of the committee also rose to their feet, fearing a breach of the peace.
"In heaven's name," whispered the secretary to the manager, "don't anger the admiral further, or there will be trouble. Take the check now and go away without saying any more; then if you don't want the other year's salary, bring it back and give it quietly to our treasurer."
"The hother year's salary!" cried Norton.
"Certainly. It is a habit of the Growlers to pay two years' salary to any one whom they dismiss."
"Oh, I beg your pardon," said Norton, seizing the check, which he found was for double the amount which he expected. Whereupon he retired quickly to his den, while the committee set itself the task of soothing the righteous anger of the admiral.
And thus it comes about that Peters, who is, as ⟨Sir⟩ Stonage Gradburn swears, still in the prime of his usefulness, serves whisky in the smoking-room of the Growlers as usual, and the old steward of the club has taken the place so suddenly left vacant by the departure of the energetic Mr. Norton.
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