the man to muddle away his money in
indiscriminate charity, and then to wonder what has become of it."

Mr Farquhar was discreet enough to hold his tongue.

"Mr Watson," said Mr Bradshaw, as the old clerk made his appearance,
"here is some mistake about those Insurance shares we purchased for
Benson ten or a dozen years ago. He spoke to Mr Farquhar about some
bonus they are paying to the shareholders, it seems; and, in reply to
Mr Farquhar's letter, the Insurance Company say the shares were sold
twelve months since. Have you any knowledge of the transaction? Has
the transfer passed through your hands? By the way" (turning to Mr
Farquhar), "who kept the certificates? Did Benson or we?"

"I really don't know," said Mr Farquhar. "Perhaps Mr Watson can tell
us."

Mr Watson meanwhile was studying the letter. When he had ended it, he
took off his spectacles, wiped them, and replacing them, he read it
again.

"It seems very strange, sir," he said at length, with his trembling,
aged voice, "for I paid Mr Benson the account of the dividends myself
last June, and got a receipt in form, and that is since the date of
the alleged transfer."

"Pretty nearly twelve months after it took place," said Mr Farquhar.

"How did you receive the dividends? An order on the Bank, along with
old Mrs Cranmer's?" asked Mr Bradshaw, sharply.

"I don't know how they came. Mr Richard gave me the money, and
desired me to get the receipt."

"It's unlucky Richard is from home," said Mr Bradshaw. "He could have
cleared up this mystery for us."

Mr Farquhar was silent.

"Do you know where the certificates were kept, Mr Watson?" said he.

"I'll not be sure, but I think they were with Mrs Cranmer's papers
and deeds in box A, 24."

"I wish old Cranmer would have made any other man his executor. She,
too, is always coming with some unreasonable request or other."

"Mr Benson's inquiry about his bonus is perfectly reasonable, at any
rate."

Mr Watson, who was dwelling in the slow fashion of age on what had
been said before, now spoke:

"I'll not be sure, but I am almost certain, Mr Benson said, when I
paid him last June, that he thought he ought to give the receipt on
a stamp, and had spoken about it to Mr Richard the time before, but
that Mr Richard said it was of no consequence. Yes," continued he,
gathering up his memory as he went on, "he did--I remember now--and
I thought to myself that Mr Richard was but a young man. Mr Richard
will