accounted
for the circumstance that no notification of the bonus had been sent
to him.

Mr Bradshaw tossed the letter on one side, not displeased to have
a good reason for feeling a little contempt at the unbusiness-like
forgetfulness of Mr Benson, at whose instance some one had evidently
been writing to the Insurance Company. On Mr Farquhar's entrance he
expressed this feeling to him.

"Really," he said, "these Dissenting ministers have no more notion of
exactitude in their affairs than a child! The idea of forgetting that
he has sold his shares, and applying for the bonus, when it seems he
has transferred them only a year ago!"

Mr Farquhar was reading the letter while Mr Bradshaw spoke.

"I don't quite understand it," said he. "Mr Benson was quite clear
about it. He could not have received his half-yearly dividends unless
he had been possessed of these shares; and I don't suppose Dissenting
ministers, with all their ignorance of business, are unlike other men
in knowing whether or not they receive the money that they believe to
be owing to them."

"I should not wonder if they were--if Benson was, at any rate. Why,
I never knew his watch to be right in all my life--it was always too
fast or too slow; it must have been a daily discomfort to him. It
ought to have been. Depend upon it, his money matters are just in the
same irregular state; no accounts kept, I'll be bound."

"I don't see that that follows," said Mr Farquhar, half amused.
"That watch of his is a very curious one--belonged to his father and
grandfather, I don't know how far back."

"And the sentimental feelings which he is guided by prompt him to
keep it, to the inconvenience of himself and every one else."

Mr Farquhar gave up the subject of the watch as hopeless.

"But about this letter. I wrote, at Mr Benson's desire, to the
Insurance Office, and I am not satisfied with this answer. All the
transaction has passed through our hands. I do not think it is likely
Mr Benson would write and sell the shares without, at any rate,
informing us at the time, even though he forgot all about it
afterwards."

"Probably he told Richard, or Mr Watson."

"We can ask Mr Watson at once. I am afraid we must wait till Richard
comes home, for I don't know where a letter would catch him."

Mr Bradshaw pulled the bell that rang into the head-clerk's room,
saying as he did so,

"You may depend upon it, Farquhar, the blunder lies with
Benson himself. He is just