"It may come to that; that's what I'm out to discover; but my brother thought it at least worth while looking into things on the spot with Mr. Reinecke----"
"Curt Reinecke?" said Mr. Barkworth abruptly.
"Yes."
"I know him--or did, twenty years ago. He's your partner. H'm!" He blew out a heavy cloud of smoke. Tom looked at him a little anxiously.
"Mr. Reinecke has had a lot of bad luck, sir," he said. "He was always hoping the tide would turn, Bob suggested that he might be incompetent, but my father had complete confidence in him."
"Reinecke incompetent! Bosh! He's clever enough."
There was something in Mr. Barkworth's tone that caused Tom to say--
"I've never met him myself, and I should really be glad of any information, sir. You see, it's rather awkward, dealing with a man old enough to be my father, I mean, and----"
"Yes, of course. Reinecke is a clever fellow; I've nothing against him, but I recommend you to go carefully. I don't like him, but then I don't like Germans."
"I can't say I do," said Tom. "I spent a year in Germany. But I've met a few jolly decent chaps, and seeing that my father thought so highly of Mr. Reinecke----"