.«
    Mr. Watson, who was dwelling in the slow fashion of age on what had been
said before, now spoke -
    »I'll not be sure, but I am almost certain, Mr. Benson said, when I paid him
last June, that he thought he ought to give the receipt on a stamp, and had
spoken about it to Mr. Richard the time before, but that Mr. Richard said it was
of no consequence. Yes,« continued he, gathering up his memory as he went on,
»he did - I remember now - and I thought to myself that Mr. Richard was but a
young man. Mr. Richard will 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
