rnished private office in Threadneedle Street,
partitioned off from a larger one bearing Mr. Meyer's name in the
window, received the two men, one of whom, in the interests of good
business, was soon to be impoverished. They had not waited a minute
before Captain Bryce and Mr. Austen were announced and ushered in.
Sleek, well-fed, and gentlemanly in manner, perfect types of the
British naval officer, they bowed politely to Mr. Selfridge when Mr.
Meyer introduced them as the captain and first officer of the _Titan_,
and seated themselves. A few moments later brought a shrewd-looking
person whom Mr. Meyer addressed as the attorney for the steamship
company, but did not introduce; for such are the amenities of the
English system of caste.

"Now then, gentlemen," said Mr. Meyer, "I pelieve we can broceed to
pizness up to a certain point--berhaps further. Mr. Thompson, you have
the affidavit of Captain Bryce?"

"I have," said the attorney, producing a document which Mr. Meyer
glanced at and handed back.

"And in this statement, captain," he said, "you have sworn that der
voyage was uneventful up to der moment of der wreck--that is," he added,
with an oily smile, as he noticed the paling of the captain's
face--"that nothing occurred to make der _Titan_ less seaworthy or
manageable?"

"That is what I swore to," said the captain, with a little sigh.

"You are part owner, are you not, Captain Bryce?"

"I own five shares of the company's stock."

"I have examined der charter and der company lists," said Mr. Meyer;
"each boat of der company is, so far as assessments and dividends are
concerned, a separate company. I find you are listed as owning two
sixty-seconds of der _Titan_ stock. This makes you, under der law, part
owner of der _Titan_, and responsible as such."

"What do you mean, sir, by that word responsible?" said Captain Bryce,
quickly.

For answer, Mr. Meyer elevated his black eyebrows, assumed an attitude
of listening, looked at his watch and went to the door, which, as he
opened, admitted the sound of carriage wheels.

"In here," he called to his clerks, then faced the captain.

"What do I mean, Captain Bryce?" he thundered. "I mean that you have
concealed in your sworn statement all reference to der fact that you
collided with and sunk the ship _Royal Age_ on der night before the
wreck of your own ship."

"Who says so--how do you know it?" blustered the captain. "You have only
that bulletin statement