Part 26 (2/2)

”As you will,” Laverick a.s.sented carelessly. ”The charge of those doc.u.ments is a trust with me as well as with yourself. I have no doubt that I can arrange for their being held in a secure place elsewhere.”

The usual formalities were gone through, and Laverick left the bank with the brown leather pocket-book in his breast-coat pocket.

Arrived at his office, he locked it up at once in his private safe and proceeded with the usual business of the day. Even with an added staff of clerks, the office was almost in an uproar. Laverick threw himself into the struggle with a whole-hearted desire to escape from these unpleasant memories. He succeeded perfectly. It was two hours before he was able to sit down even for a moment. His head-clerk, almost as exhausted, followed him into his room.

”I forgot to tell you, sir,” he announced, ”that there s a man outside--Mr. Shepherd was his name, I believe--said he had a small investment to make which you promised to look after personally. He would insist on seeing you--said he was a waiter at a restaurant which you visited sometimes.”

”That's all right,” Laverick declared. ”You can show him in. We'll probably give him American rails.”

”Can't we attend to it in the office for you, sir?” the clerk asked.

”I suppose it's only a matter of a few hundreds.”

”Less than that, probably, but I promised the fellow I'd look after it myself. Send him in, Scropes.”

There was a brief delay and then Mr. Shepherd was announced.

Laverick, who was sitting with his coat off, smoking a well-earned cigarette, looked up and nodded to his visitor as the door was closed.

”Sorry to keep you waiting,” he remarked. ”We're having a bit of a rush.”

The man laid down his hat and came up to Laverick's side.

”I guess that, sir,” he said, ”from the number of people we've had in the 'Black Post' to-day, and the way they've all been shouting and talking. They don't seem to eat much these days, but there's some of them can s.h.i.+ft the drink.”

”I've got some sound stocks looked out for you,” Laverick remarked, ”two hundred and fifty pounds' worth. If you'll just approve that list as a matter of form,” he added, pus.h.i.+ng a piece of paper across, ”you can come in to-morrow and have the certificates. I shall tell them to debit the purchase money to my private account, so that if any one asks you anything, you can say that you paid me for them.”

”I'm sure I'm much obliged, sir,” the man said. ”To tell you the truth,” he went on, ”I've had a bit of a scare to-day.”

Laverick looked up quickly.

”What do you mean?” he demanded.

”May I sit down, sir? I'm a bit worn out. I've been on the go since half-past ten.”

Laverick nodded and pointed to a chair. Shepherd brought it up to the side of the table and leaned forward.

”There's been two men in to-day,” he said, ”asking questions. They wanted to know how many customers I had there on Monday night, and could I describe them. Was there any one I recognized, and so on.”

”What did you say?”

”I declared I couldn't remember any one. To the best of my recollection, I told them, there was no one served at all after ten o'clock. I wouldn't say for certain--it looked as though I might have had a reason.”

”And were they satisfied?”

”I don't think they were,” Shepherd admitted. ”Not altogether, that is to say.”

”Did they mention any names?” asked Laverick--”Morrison's, for instance? Did they want to know whether he was a regular customer?”

”They didn't mention no names at all, sir,” the man answered, ”but they did begin to ask questions about my regular clients. Fortunate like, the place was so crowded that I had every excuse for not paying any too much attention to them. It was all I could do to keep on getting orders attended to.”

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