Since competitive examinations had come into vogue, there was no knowing who might be introduced; and it was understood generally through the establishment,--and I may almost say by the civil service at large, so wide was his fame,--that Mr.Eames was very averse to the whole theory of competition.

The "Devil take the hindmost" scheme, he called it; and would then go on to explain that hindmost candidates were often the best gentlemen, and that, in this way, the Devil got the pick of the flock.

And he was respected the more for this opinion, because it was known that on this subject he had fought some hard battles with the chief commissioner.

The chief commissioner was a great believer in competition, wrote papers about it, which he read aloud to various bodies of the civil service,--not at all to their delight,--which he got to be printed here and there, and which he sent by post all over the kingdom.

More than once this chief commissioner had told his private secretary that they must part company, unless the private secretary could see fit to alter his view, or could, at least, keep his views to himself.