le gets into my head
because I take it so seldom, and the manager is cross if one makes
the least bit of a mistake. Besides, I do not think that I like
to drink wine. If one does not take it at all, there is an excuse
for never having anything when the girls ask you."

He nodded sympathetically.

"I believe you are quite right," he said; "in a general way, at any
rate. Well, I will drink by myself to your brother's safe arrival
in New York. Are you ready?"

She glanced at the clock.

"I must be there in a quarter of an hour," she told him.

"I will drive you to the theatre," he said, "and then go round and
fetch my ticket."

As he waited for her in the reception hall of the restaurant, he
took an evening paper from the stall. A brief paragraph at once
attracted his attention.

Murder in the City.--We understand that very important
information has come into the hands of the police. An
ARREST is expected to-night or to-morrow at the latest.

He crushed the paper in his hand and threw it on one side. It was
the usual sort of thing. There was nothing they could have found
out--nothing, he told himself.

CHAPTER XIX

MYSTERIOUS INQUIRIES

As soon as he had gone through his letters on the following morning,
Laverick, in response to a second and more urgent message, went
round to his bank. Mr. Fenwick greeted him gravely. He was feeling
keenly the responsibilities of his position. Just how much to say
and how much to leave unsaid was a question which called for a full
measure of diplomacy.

"You understand, Mr. Laverick," he began, "that I wished to see you
with regard to the arrangement we came to the day before yesterday."

Laverick nodded. It suited him to remain monosyllabic.

"Well?" he asked.

"The arrangement, of course, was most unusual," the manager continued.
"I agreed to it as you were an old customer and the matter was an
urgent one."

"I do not quite follow you," Laverick remarked, frowning. "What is
it you wish me to do? Withdraw my account?"

"Not in the least," the manager answered hastily.

"You know the position of our market, of course," Laverick went on.
"Three days ago I was in a situation which might have been called
desperate. I could quite understand that you needed security to
go on making the necessary payments on my behalf. To-day, things
are entirely different. I am twenty thousand pounds better off,
and if necessary I could realize s