Mr. Brooks did fire away. He went carefully over the faint violet outline with a pen and ink, and when he had finished and the signature was dry, he put the two cheques side by side, and dapped his thigh with delight.
‘By Jove, Marston, it’s perfect; the money’s in our pocket.’
‘Not yet,’ answered Marston; ‘but it soon will be. What time will your clerk be back? We ought to send him to cash it at once. I shall cash the genuine one first, in case of accidents.’
Mr. Brooks’s face suddenly fell.
‘H’m!’ he said, ‘that’s awkward, too. I forgot to tell you, but the rummest thing in the world occurred yesterday. When I got back after seeing you, I gave Smith a note for Grigg and Limpet, with the money in it, to take at once. “Grigg and Limpet,” he says, looking at the address, “why that’s where my landlord is.” Of course I asked him a question or two then, and it turns out this greenhorn of mine is lodging with a man named Duck, one of Grigg and Limpet’s clerks.’
‘That’s awkward. He may have said something already,’ said Marston, looking grave.
‘Not he; he’s a gentleman,’ answered Mr. Brooks; ‘so I knew how to tackle him. “Mr. Smith,” I said, “you occupy a post of confidence with the firm, which will lead, I hope, one day to great things. I need hardly tell you, Mr. Smith, that, in our business, confidence between employer and employed is necessary. I trust you do not talk with your landlord about the business of the firm?”
‘He stammered and blushed, and said he might have said something, but not lately. I told him to take the note and put it in the firm’s letter-box and come away, but on no account to mention to any one from whom he came, and not to breathe a word to his landlord that our firms had business together. He promised.’
‘But how do you know he didn’t?’
‘My dear fellow,’ said Mr. Brooks, ‘he’s as honest and innocent as a baby. I’d trust him with anything. He kept his word, I’ll swear; but still I don’t think, under the circumstances, it will be advisable to send him to cash Grigg and Limpet’s cheque.’