midday
came from the inner office , and Pringle made a grimace like a pantomime clown , suggesting mock horror and fear , as he glided to the outer door , where he turned , looked back , and then disappeared ; while , as soon as he was alone , Tom took out a paper of sandwiches , opened it , and began to eat , it being an understood thing that he should not leave the office all day . But those sandwiches , good enough of their kind , tasted as if they were made of sawdust , and he had hard work to get them down , and then only by the help of a glass of water from the table-filter , standing at the side of the office -- kept , Pringle said , to revive unfortunate clients whose affairs were going to the bad . Every now and then a cough was heard from the inner office , and Tom hurried over his meal in dread lest his uncle should appear before he had finished . Then , as soon as the last was eaten , and the paper thrust into the waste-basket , the boy attacked his book once more , and had hardly recommenced when the inner office door opened , and his uncle appeared , looking at him sharply -- ready , Tom thought , to find fault with him for being so long over his midday meal . But there was nothing to complain about . `` I 'm going to have my lunch , '' he said sharply , `` and I may not come back , though all the same I may . Mind that man Pringle goes on with his work , and do n't let me have any fault to find about your reading .