"Do you know where the certificates were kept, Mr Watson?" said he.
"I'll not be sure, but I think they were with Mrs Cranmer's papers and deeds in box A, 24."
"I wish old Cranmer would have made any other man his executor. She, too, is always coming with some unreasonable request or other."
"Mr Benson's inquiry about his bonus is perfectly reasonable, at any rate."
Mr Watson, who was dwelling in the slow fashion of age on what had been said before, now spoke:
"I'll not be sure, but I am almost certain, Mr Benson said, when I paid him last June, that he thought he ought to give the receipt on a stamp, and had spoken about it to Mr Richard the time before, but that Mr Richard said it was of no consequence. Yes," continued he, gathering up his memory as he went on, "he did—I remember now—and I thought to myself that Mr Richard was but a young man. Mr Richard will know all about it."
"Yes," said Mr Farquhar, gravely.
"I shan't wait till Richard's return," said Mr Bradshaw. "We can soon see if the certificates are in the box Watson points out; if they are there, the Insurance people are no more fit to manage their concern than that cat, and I shall tell them so. If they are not there (as I suspect will prove to be the case), it is just forgetfulness on Benson's part, as I have said from the first."
"You forget the payment of the dividends," said Mr Farquhar, in a low voice.
"Well, sir! what then?" said Mr Bradshaw, abruptly. While he spoke—while his eye met Mr Farquhar's—the hinted meaning of the latter flashed through his mind; but he was only made angry to find that such a suspicion could pass through any one's imagination.