Instead, three days later, I received the following letter:—
Sir,—We regret to announce that, owing to a clerical error in this office, your account was last month wrongly credited with a cheque for £13,097 5s. 10d. which was made payable to another client of the same name.
Adjustments have now been made which reveal a balance on your account of £110 11s. 3d. in our favour. We trust that you will find it convenient to cover this overdraft at an early date.
With reference to your letter of the 19th inst. containing assorted inquiries, we beg to intimate that we can in no circumstances undertake to advise clients on general matters which lie outside the scope of our interests.
Yours faithfully,
per pro The Cosmopolitan Bkg. Corpn.
Charles O. Shine.
And this time C.O.S. did not even "remain" in the plural.
I at once showed Butterington this offensive communication.
"Well," said he, "of course they won't answer communications unless you have a balance."
That is the way rich men talk.
"I am never without one," I replied with dignity, "on one side or the other."