I replied that as far as routine business went I did much as seemed good in my own eyes.
“Routine business? including investments, for instance?” he asked.
“Yes,” said I; “investments in the ordinary course of business—discounting bills and putting money out on loan and mortgage over here. I place the money, and merely notify the people at home of what I have done.”
“A most proper confidence to repose in you,” the President was good enough say. “Confidence is the life of business; you must trust a man. It would be absurd to make you send home the bills, and deeds, and certificate, and what not. Of course they wouldn’t do that.”
Though this was a statement, somehow it also sounded like a question, so I answered:
“As a rule they do me the compliment of taking my word. The fact is, they are, as your Excellency says, obliged to trust somebody.”
“Exactly as I thought. And you sometimes have large sums to place?”
At this point, notwithstanding my respect for the President, I began to smell a rat.
“Oh, no, sir,” I replied, “usually very small. Our business is not so extensive as we could wish.”
“Whatever,” said the President, looking me straight in the face, “whatever may be usual, at this moment you have a large sum—a very respectable sum—of money in your safe at the bank, waiting for investment.”