From the loud tones of the speakers I concluded the partners had left for the day.
At first I could not tell whether it was a joke or a quarrel that was being enacted; but it soon began to dawn on me.

Jack Smith was being set on by the others.
What his offence had been I could not quite gather, though I believe it consisted in his insisting on using the ledger he was at work on till the actual hour for ceasing work arrived, while Harris, who was responsible for the locking-up of the books, and who wanted this evening to go half an hour earlier, was demanding that he should give it up now.
"I must finish these accounts to-night," said Jack.
"I tell you I'm not going to be kept here half an hour just to please you," replied Harris.
"We're not supposed to stop work till seven," said Jack; "that's the time we always work to when Mr Barnacle is here.

And it's only half- past six now." "What business of yours is it when we're supposed to work to, Mr Prig ?" demanded Harris, savagely.

"You're under my orders here, and you'll do what I tell you." "I'm under Mr Barnacle's orders," said Jack, going on with his writing.
"You mean to say you're not going to do what I tell you ?" asked Harris, in a rage.
"I'm going to do what's right--that's all," said Smith, quietly.
"Right! You humbug! You're a nice respectable fellow to talk about right to us, Mr Gaol-bird! As if we didn't know who you are! You son of a thief and swindler! Right, indeed! We don't want to hear about right from you!" Jack gave one startled, scared, upward look as he spoke; but it was turned not to the speaker, but to me.

I shall never forget that look.
I could have sunk into the earth with shame and misery as I encountered it.
He closed the ledger, and with white face and quivering lips took his hat and walked silently from the office.
To me his manner was more terrible than if he had broken out into torrents of passion and abuse.