’Oh, is that all.  Who cares what the Financial Whisper says!  It would call the Bank of England a preposterous institution if it thought it could bear Consols by doing so.  Its opinion is not worth a halfpenny.  By the way, Crosse, it was about those shares that I called.’

’I thought you might.  I have only just got back myself, and I saw by your wire that you had bought them all right.’

’Yes, I thought I had better let you have your contract at once.  Settling day is on Monday, you know.’

’All right.  Thank you.  I will let you have a cheque.  What—­what’s this?’

The contract had been laid face upwards upon the table.  Frank Crosse’s face grew whiter and his eyes larger as he stared at it.  It ran in this way —

13a Throgmorton street.

Bought for Francis Crosse, Esq.

(Subject to the Specific Rules and Regulations of the Stock
Exchange.) Pounds
200 El Dorado Proprietaries at 4.75 950 0 0
Stamps and Fees 4 17 6
Commission 7 10 0
                                       962 7 6

For the 7th inst.

‘I fancy there is some mistake here, Harrison,’ said he, speaking with a very dry pair of lips.

‘A mistake!’

‘Yes, this is not at all what I expected.’

‘O Frank!  Nearly a thousand pounds!’ gasped Maude.

Harrison glanced from one of them to the other.  He saw that the matter was serious.

’I am very sorry if there has been any mistake.  I tried to obey your instructions.  You wanted two hundred El Dorados, did you not?’

‘Yes, at four and ninepence.’

‘Four and ninepence!  They are four pound fifteen each.’

’But I read that they were only ten shillings originally, and that they had been falling.’

’Yes, they have been falling for months.  But they were as high as ten pounds once.  They are down at four pound fifteen now.’

‘Why on earth could the paper not say so?’

‘When a fraction is used, it always means a fraction of a pound.’

‘Good heavens!  And I have to find this sum before Monday.’

‘Monday is settling day.’

‘I can’t do it, Harrison.  It is impossible.’

‘Then there is the obvious alternative.’

‘No, I had rather die.  I will never go bankrupt—­never!’

Harrison began to laugh, and then turned stonily solemn as he met a pair of reproachful grey eyes.

‘It strikes me that you have not done much at this game, Crosse.’

‘Never before—­and by Heaven, never again!’

’You take it much too hard.  When I spoke of an alternative, I never dreamed of bankruptcy.  All you have to do is to sell your stock to-morrow morning, and pay the difference.’

‘Can I do that?’