Fancy my astonishment! I had expected to see Shoddy persuaded to abandon his idea of calling at the office; but this was far more than I ever dreamt of.
“Oh, Flanagan,” I began, “you really—”
“Shut up,” said Flanagan. “May as well owe it to me as Shoddy. There,” added he, putting down the money and giving me the receipt, “and look here, Mr Shoddy, the next time you try your sharp practice on us I change my tailor.”
“And now,” said he, putting a note into my hand, “this will help to square accounts with Hawkesbury and some of the others. Mind you pay it back, do you hear?”
Before I could even turn to speak to him he had bolted round the corner and vanished!
Chapter Thirty.
How I paid off a Score, and made a rather Awkward Discovery.
I stood staring at the five-pound note which Flanagan had left in my hand in a state of utter bewilderment.