THE KING'S HOUSE 113 



were overcome. The height of the modern 

 Verderers' Hall was reduced by 2 feet 6 inches 

 without anyone ever noticing it. A well exe- 

 cuted copy of the fine old Jacobean staircase 

 in the house itself was placed at the northern 

 end, so as to give access to the new offices, and, 

 in fine, we contrived, out of what was previously 

 wasted space, a capital set of three rooms of 

 offices, with abundant presses for holding papers, 

 &c., drawing tables, and all the accessories of a 

 land agent's office. 



The relief and assistance that was conferred 

 on my staff by this extra space was inconceiv- 

 able. Instead of spending hours in searching for 

 a paper, heaped with others in a slovenly mass 

 on the floor, every document was indexed and 

 in its place. The saving in labour, represented 

 by pounds shillings and pence, went a long way 

 towards paying interest on the outlay and the 

 additional salaries. 



But besides this practical view,^there was the 

 immense improvement in the appearance of the 

 old house. 



When first my proposals for an alteration of 

 any kind to that portion of it which was 

 erroneously conceived by the public to be a 

 genuine historical building were made, I was 



warned and well realised that an agitation and 



H 



