or takes as
much interest in his work, yet I have no particular anxiety to carry it
on after business hours."

The manager rose.

"You are not even an idle apprentice," he said good-humoredly. "You will
see Mr. Rex Holland for me?"

"Certainly," said Frank, and went back to his desk deep in thought.

It was four o'clock to the minute when Jasper Cole passed through the
one open door of the bank at which the porter stood ready to close. He
was well, but neatly, dressed, and had hooked to his wrist a thin
snakewood cane attached to a crook handle.

He saw Frank across the counter and smiled, displaying two rows of even,
white teeth.

"Hello, Jasper!" said Frank easily, extending his hand. "How is uncle?"

"He is very well indeed," replied the other. "Of course he is very
worried about things, but then I think he is always worried about
something or other."

"Anything in particular?" asked Frank interestedly.

Jasper shrugged his shoulders.

"You know him much better than I; you were with him longer. He is
getting so horribly suspicious of people, and sees a spy or an enemy in
every strange face. That is usually a bad sign, but I think he has been
a little overwrought lately."

He spoke easily; his voice was low and modulated with the faintest
suggestion of a drawl, which was especially irritating to Frank, who
secretly despised the Oxford product, though he admitted--since he was a
very well-balanced and on the whole good-humored young man--his dislike
was unreasonable.

"I hear you have come to audit the accounts," said Frank, leaning on the
counter and opening his gold cigarette case.

"Hardly that," drawled Jasper.

He reached out his hand and selected a cigarette.

"I just want to sort out a few things. By the way, your uncle had a
letter from a friend of yours."

"Mine?"

"A Rex Holland," said the other.

"He is hardly a friend of mine; in fact, he is rather an infernal
nuisance," said Frank. "I went down to Knightsbridge to see him to-day,
and he was out. What has Mr. Holland to say?"

"Oh, he is interested in some sort of charity, and he is starting a
guinea collection. I forget what the charity was."

"Why do you call him a friend of mine?" asked Frank, eying the other
keenly.

Jasper Cole was halfway to the manager's office and turned.

"A little joke," he said. "I had heard you mention the gentleman. I have
no other reason for supposing he was a friend of yours."

"Oh, by the way,