The Diary of a Nobody — George Grossmith

I was half an hour late at the office a thing that has never happened to me before There has recently been much irregularity in the attendance of the clerks and Mr Perkupp our principal unfortunately choose this very morning to pounce down upon us early Someone had given the tip to the others The result was that I was the only one late of the lot Buckling one of the senior clerks was a brick and I was saved by his intervention As I passed by Pitts desk I heard him remark to his neighbour ldquo How disgracefully late some of the head clerks arrive rdquo This was of course meant for me I treated the observation with silence simply giving him a look which unfortunately had the effect of making both of the clerks laugh Thought afterwards it would have been more dignified if I had pretended not to have heard him at all Cummings called in the evening and we played dominoes