'Here I am, dear sir,' he said cheerfully—'here I am, in immediate obedience to your summons. I hope that there is nothing wrong; though your request that I would bring with me certain papers certainly made me a little apprehensive.'
'There is, I fear, a good deal wrong,' said Mr. Dering. 'Sit down, my old friend.—Give Mr. Ellis a chair, Checkley.—Austin, you will tell him what he wants to know.'
'You wrote to Mr. Dering yesterday recommending a certain investment——'
'I certainly did. A very favourable opportunity it is, and a capital thing it will prove.'
'You mentioned in your letter certain transfers and sales which, according to your letter, he had recently effected.'
'Certainly.'
'What sales were they?'
Mr. Ellis looked at his papers. 'February last—sale of various stock, all duly enumerated here, to the value of 6,500l. March last, sale of various stock, also all duly enumerated, to the value of 12,000l. odd. April last, sale of stock to the value of 20,000l.—more or less—realising——'
'You note the dates and amounts, Austin?' said Mr. Dering.
'Certainly; we will, however, get the dates and the amounts more exactly in a moment.—Now, Mr. Ellis, of course you received instructions with the papers themselves. Were they in writing or by word of mouth?'