(2) Whether, in the case of my backing Pegasus in the first race, 'any to come' on Short Time in the fourth, and Short Time not starting, I am entitled to my winnings over Pegasus?
(3) Whether, after perusing seventeen favourable reports from mining engineers and eighty-seven enthusiastic directors' speeches, I am justified in assuming that gold actually does exist in the Bonanzadorado mine?
Yours faithfully,
Thesiger Cholmondeley Beauchamp.
After some delay they answered as follows:—
Sir,—We have much pleasure in replying to the queries contained in your favour, of the 27th ult.:—
(1) Yes; (2) Yes; (3) No.
Assuring you always of our best endeavours in your service,
We remain, Yours faithfully,
per pro The Cosmopolitan Bkg. Corpn.
C.O. Shine.
So far so good. The Bank's manner left nothing to be desired, and its replies were certainly to the point. I began to think of Mr. C.O. Shine as my personal friend and speculated as to whether his first name were Claude or Clarence.
During the following week, whenever I became curious on any subject, I made notes of fresh queries to propound. After accumulating a sufficient number I again wrote to the Bank. I forget the exact points upon which I required information; one of them, I fancy, was the conjectured geologic age of the Reichardtite strata. Anyhow I got no answer to any of them.