"I find myself," the Marquis continued sternly, "in the painful position of having to prefer a complaint against your firm."
"I am very sorry—very sorry indeed," Mr. Wadham murmured.
"I discovered yesterday afternoon, entirely by accident, that the allowance which you have my instructions to make to Miss Hannaway has not been paid for the last two quarters."
"Through no neglect of ours, I assure your lordship," Mr. Wadham insisted gravely. "You will remember that we wrote to you last October, pointing out that the yield from the estates was insufficient, without the help of the bank, to meet the interest on the mortgages, and that, amongst other claims which we were obliged to leave over, we should be unable to forward the usual cheque to the young lady in question."
The Marquis cleared his throat and tapped with his long forefingers upon the desk. It was a curious circumstance that, although both Mr. Wadham, Senior, and Junior had done more than their duty towards their distinguished client, each had at that moment the feeling of a criminal.
"You are, I believe, perfectly well aware, Mr. Wadham," the Marquis declared, "that I never read your letters."
Mr. Wadham, Senior, coughed. His son thrust both hands into his trousers pockets. The statement was unanswerable.
"I was therefore," the Marquis continued severely, "in complete ignorance of your failure to carry out my instructions."
Mr. Wadham, Junior, less affected than his father by tradition, and priding himself more upon that negligible gift of common sense, interposed respectfully but firmly.
"We can scarcely be responsible," he pointed out, "for your lordship's indisposition to read letters containing business information of importance."