Barnacle Junior advised Mr.
Headstone to present his case to the Secretarial Department, which was on
another floor of the building. The schoolmaster accompanied the messenger up a
flight of stairs and into a gloomy passage, where that functionary pointed out the
room. Mr. Headstone entered that apartment, and found two gentlemen sitting
face to face at a large and easy desk, one of whom was polishing a gun-barrel
on his pocket-handkerchief, while the other was spreading marmalade on bread
with a paper-knife. Neither of these worthy public servants showed the
inclination to provide any advice other than to recommend that Mr. Headstone close
the door firmly on his way out. A few steps along the corridor brought him to
another door, and in that room he found three gentlemen; number one doing
nothing particular, number two doing nothing particular, number three doing
nothing particular. Mr. Headstone addressed his petition to the first
gentleman, who referred him to number two, who, in his turn, referred him to
number three. The third gentleman referred him to a fourth, who, on account of
his being a Barnacle, occupied a separate chamber. Number four was a vivacious,
well-looking, well-dressed, agreeable young fellow and came from the more
sprightly side of the family. This sparkling young Barnacle took a fresh
handful of papers from a desk drawer and pressed them upon Mr. Headstone, who
put the forms in his pocket and went his way down the long stone passage and
the long stone staircase.
Mr Charles Dickens
