It was Herman Eppstein who took up the question, and dealt with it with a resource which I should hardly have expected of him.
"I know all about it, Mr. 'Obson," he said, "and you 'aven't nothing to grumble at. Mr. 'Oward took over your shares at market price, and did you a very good turn. If you'd a knowed you could do better by 'anging on to them, why did you let 'em go?"
Mr. Hobson sank into a chair, and buried his face in his hands, rocking his body to and fro.
"I might have known it," he said. "Nothing I ever do goes right. If I had kept those shares, I should have been a poor man once more. And I should have kept them, if he hadn't come and pretended to be doing me a good turn."
He lifted up his head, and hissed the word "Viper!" at me, and then subsided once more into his state of misery.
"What is it all about, Herman? What has happened?" asked Mr. Perry.
I also wanted to know what had happened. I was not feeling at all comfortable, and no longer wished to prevent Eppstein from telling his story.
"Mr. 'Oward took over thirty-five thousand Mount Lebanon shares from Mr. 'Obson. It was all in order, and Mr. 'Obson must 'ave been precious glad to get rid of them. Mr. 'Oward 'olds them now, and I take this opportunity of congratulating him. Still, I do think, as 'e is almost a member of this family and you might say, 'e might 'ave let some of the rest of us into the know, instead of keeping all the good luck to 'imself."