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 'Encyclopaedia 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.