other day that you held rather more shares than
you cared for, perhaps you could let me have some?"

The other nodded. "I could part with fifty," he said, dryly.

"Let me think, when was the last board meeting?"

"This day fortnight."

"I have rather neglected the matter in the pressure of business," Mr.
Brander said, quietly, "and my client thinks the matter is already
concluded, so perhaps it would be as well to date the transfer on the
day after the board meeting, and I will date my check accordingly."

"It will be all the same to me," the manager said, "shall I draw out the
transfer at once?"

"Do so. The shares stand at six pounds ten, I think, so I will draw you
out a check for three hundred and twenty-five pounds. That will be
right, I think," and he wrote a check and handed it across to the
manager.

"What name shall I put in as the purchaser, Mr. Brander?"

"James William Hartington."

The manager lifted his brows and hesitated for a moment, but then,
without a remark, filled in the transfer, dating it as requested.

"I must get two of the clerks to witness my signature," he said.

The lawyer nodded.

Two young clerks were fetched up by the messenger.

"I only want you to witness my signature," the manager said, as he
signed his name. "Please to sign here, Mr. Karford; now Mr. Levison, you
sign underneath." He held his finger to the spot where they were to sign
in such a way that they could not even if they wished read the name
inserted in the body of the document.

"I will take it away with me and obtain Hartington's signature," Mr.
Brander said, after they had left the room, "I am going over to see him
now. I will send it in to you before the next board meeting, and by the
way it would be as well when you get it stamped to pass it in with
several others. I know how these things are done, and in ninety-nine
cases out of a hundred the directors don't even glance at the names on
the transfers. Of course they are nothing to them, they have other
things to think about, but there might possibly be some remark at your
transferring some of your shares just at the present moment. By the
way," he said, carelessly, "I don't think if I were you I would make any
further advances to Mildrake. Of course, he has a big business, and no
doubt he is all right, but I have learned privately that they are not
doing as well as they seem to be, and I know the bank is pretty deep
there already."

The manager turne