Jabez Wilson,’ said my assistant, ‘and he is willing to fill a vacancy in the League.’ “‘And he is admirably suited for it,’ the other answered I cannot recall when I have seen anything so fine.’ He took a step backward, cocked his head on one side, and gazed at my hair until I felt quite bashful Then suddenly he plunged forward, wrung my hand, and congratulated me warmly on my success “‘It would be injustice to hesitate,’ said he ‘You will, however, I am sure, excuse me for taking an obvious precaution.’ With that he seized my hair in both his hands, and tugged until I yelled with the pain ‘There is water in your eyes,’ said he as he released me ‘I perceive that all is as it should be But we have to be careful, for we have twice been deceived by wigs and once by paint I could tell you tales of cobbler’s wax which would disgust you with human nature.’ He stepped over to the window and shouted through it at the top of his voice that the vacancy was filled A groan of disappointment came up from below, and the folk all trooped away in different directions until there was not a red-head to be seen except my own and that of the manager Duncan Ross, and I am myself one of the pensioners upon the fund left by our noble benefactor Have you a family?’ “I answered that I had not “‘Dear me!’ he said gravely, ‘that is very serious indeed I am sorry to hear you say that The fund was, of course, for the propagation and spread of the red-heads as well as for their maintenance It is exceedingly unfortunate that you should be a bachelor.’ “My face lengthened at this, Mr Holmes, for I thought that I was not to have the vacancy after all; but after thinking it over for a few minutes he said that it would be all right “‘In the case of another,’ said he, ‘the objection might be fatal, but we must stretch a point in favour of a man with such a head of hair as yours When shall you be able to enter upon your new duties?’ “‘Well, it is a little awkward, for I have a business already,’ said I “‘Oh, never mind about that, Mr Wilson!’ said Vincent Spaulding ‘I should be able to look after that for you.’ “‘What would be the hours?’ I asked “‘Ten to two.’ “Now a pawnbroker’s business is mostly done of an evening, Mr Holmes, especially Thursday and Friday evening, which is just before pay-day; so it would suit me very well to earn a little in the mornings Besides, I knew that my assistant was a good man, and that he would see to anything that turned up “‘That would suit me very well,’ said I ‘And the pay?’ “‘Is £ 4 a week.’ “‘And the work?’ “‘Is purely nominal.’ “‘What do you call purely nominal?’ “‘Well, you have to be in the office, or at least in the building, the whole time If you leave, you forfeit your whole position forever The will is very clear upon that point You don’t comply with the conditions if you budge from the office during that time.’ “‘It’s only four hours a day, and I should not think of leaving,’ said I “‘No excuse will avail,’ said Mr Duncan Ross; ‘neither sickness nor business nor anything else There you must stay, or you lose your billet.’ “‘And the work?’ “‘Is to copy out the _Encyclopædia Britannica_ There is the first volume of it in that press You must find your own ink, pens, and blotting-paper, but we provide this table and chair Will you be ready to-morrow?’ “‘Certainly,’ I answered It seemed altogether past belief that anyone could make such a will, or that they would pay such a sum for doing anything so simple as copying out the _Encyclopædia Britannica_ Vincent Spaulding did what he could to cheer me up, but by bedtime I had reasoned myself out of the whole thing However, in the morning I determined to have a look at it anyhow, so I bought a penny bottle of ink, and with a quill-pen, and seven sheets of foolscap paper, I started off for Pope’s Court “Well, to my surprise and delight, everything was as right as possible The table was set out ready for me, and Mr Duncan Ross was there to see that I got fairly to work He started me off upon the letter A, and then he left me; but he would drop in from time to time to see that all was right with me At two o’clock he bade me good-day, complimented me upon the amount that I had written, and locked the door of the office after me “This went on day after day, Mr Holmes, and on Saturday the manager came in and planked down four golden sovereigns for my week’s work It was the same next week, and the same the week after Every morning I was there at ten, and every afternoon I left at two Duncan Ross took to coming in only once of a morning, and then, after a time, he did not come in at all “Eight weeks passed away like this, and I had written about Abbots and Archery and Armour and Architecture and Attica, and hoped with diligence that I might get on to the B’s before very long