"Here is a document that belongs to the Committee," he said.
Phipps looked at the bill and gasped.
"What? The Cleverly bill?"
"Yes; Mr. Carlton gave it to me to return to you before the meeting of the Committee. I forgot all about it. I found it in my coat pocket last night and went and told him. He instructed me to hand it to you this morning. I'm sorry it happened."
The clerk seemed too stunned to speak. When he recovered his breath he broke out into a string of adjectives.
"Well, of all the cheeky kids, you're about the worst I ever met," was the peroration.
"I said I was sorry," said Barry, half resentfully.
Joel sneered.
"You don't suppose you can get anyone to believe that, do you?"
"What do you mean?"