know all about it."

"Yes," said Mr Farquhar, gravely.

"I shan't wait till Richard's return," said Mr Bradshaw. "We can soon
see if the certificates are in the box Watson points out; if they are
there, the Insurance people are no more fit to manage their concern
than that cat, and I shall tell them so. If they are not there (as
I suspect will prove to be the case), it is just forgetfulness on
Benson's part, as I have said from the first."

"You forget the payment of the dividends," said Mr Farquhar, in a low
voice.

"Well, sir! what then?" said Mr Bradshaw, abruptly. While he
spoke--while his eye met Mr Farquhar's--the hinted meaning of the
latter flashed through his mind; but he was only made angry to find
that such a suspicion could pass through any one's imagination.

"I suppose I may go, sir," said Watson, respectfully, an uneasy
consciousness of what was in Mr Farquhar's thoughts troubling the
faithful old clerk.

"Yes. Go. What do you mean about the dividends?" asked Mr Bradshaw,
impetuously of Mr Farquhar.

"Simply, that I think there can have been no forgetfulness--no
mistake on Mr Benson's part," said Mr Farquhar, unwilling to put his
dim suspicion into words.

"Then of course it is some blunder of that confounded Insurance
Company. I will write to them to-day, and make them a little brisker
and more correct in their statements."

"Don't you think it would be better to wait till Richard's return? He
may be able to explain it."

"No, sir!" said Mr Bradshaw, sharply. "I do not think it would be
better. It has not been my way of doing business to spare any one,
or any company, the consequences of their own carelessness; nor to
obtain information second-hand when I could have it direct from the
source. I shall write to the Insurance Office by the next post."

Mr Farquhar saw that any further remonstrance on his part would
only aggravate his partner's obstinacy; and, besides, it was but a
suspicion--an uncomfortable suspicion. It was possible that some of
the clerks at the Insurance Office might have made a mistake. Watson
was not sure, after all, that the certificates had been deposited in
box A, 24; and when he and Mr Farquhar could not find them there,
the old man drew more and yet more back from his first assertion of
belief that they had been placed there.

Mr Bradshaw wrote an angry and indignant reproach of carelessness to
the Insurance Company. By the next mail one of their clerks came down