The Lady and the Lord | Page 7

them, have been the Zinc Amalgamation. They were both
called N.Z. Am., but one had the word 'com.' after it with a full stop,
and the other had the word 'pref.' There was a foot-note at the bottom of
the column which said that the 'com.' had been largely dealt in. The
'com' and the 'pref.' were quoted at different prices, and I think it was
the most confusing mix-up that I ever tried to puzzle out.
"I never would have puzzled it out if it hadn't been for Bertram, the
proprietor. He passed me where I was sitting in the lobby, and smiled. I
asked him what he was smiling about, and he said that it was easy to
tell my nationality without hearing me speak, because American
women were the only women who ever read the financial columns of
the papers.
"I told him I was only reading out of curiosity, and I asked him what
'com.' and 'pref.' meant. He gave me quite a little lecture, and explained
the whole thing; and after that I began to feel ready for the fray.
"At about twelve o'clock a telephone message came from Mr.
Lewisohn, asking me to call round at his office; so I ordered out the
carriage again, wondering what it meant. When I got there I was shown
right in to his office, and he lost no time in coming to the point.
"He sat in his usual corner blinking at me, and he made me sit right in
the sunlight that was streaming through the window. He watched my

face as carefully as a cat watches a mouse, and I hoped I had not put
too much powder on--I came away in rather a hurry. His first question
completely took my breath away. He said:
"'Mrs. Crothers, how much money have you in your possession?'
"I suppose my face showed that I was taken by surprise, and he must
have guessed the rest; for he said at once:
"'You needn't tell me. I think I know sufficient. Now, Mrs. Crothers,
Lord Tipperary is a valued client of mine. I have known him since he
was a boy. His father was also a client of mine, and his grandfather
used to entrust his business to my father. You will perhaps admit that I
have a right to be interested in his welfare.
"'Now I want you to tell me exactly what is the nature of the business
that you have entered into with Lord Tipperary. He called on me this
morning, and told me a little, but not enough. There is no sense in a
case like this in beating about the bush. I will give you fifty pounds for
your information.'
"I said: 'I will take your fifty pounds, Mr. Lewisohn, because I need it,
but I would have told you the nature of the business at once if you had
asked me.'
"The expression on his face changed a little, as though he didn't believe
me, and were smiling inside himself; but he was too polite to let it
appear on the surface; he merely bowed, and motioned to me to
proceed. So I told him the same story of the shares that I had told Lord
Tipperary.
"But he seemed to expect something else, and when I had finished he
sat with his eyebrows raised a little, waiting for me to continue.
"When I said nothing, he asked me: 'And the name of the shares?'
"I said: 'No, Mr. Lewisohn, that was not in the bargain. If I tell you the
name of the shares, the secret will be out!'

"He said: 'Madam, it was distinctly in the bargain. I must insist on
knowing the name of the shares. So far as the secret is concerned, there
is no safer depository for a secret of any kind than within the four walls
of a lawyer's private office. I can assure you--in fact, I promise you
faithfully--that what you may tell me will remain an absolute secret.'
"'But even Lord Tipperary doesn't know,' I objected.
"'I am aware of that, madam. In fact, that is precisely why I insist on
knowing myself.'
"He pulled a lovely crinkly Bank of England note for fifty pounds out
of his waistcoat pocket, and made it crackle absent mindedly between
his fingers; and all at once I blurted out that the shares were called
National Zinc Amalgamation, Common.
"He passed me over the fifty pounds at once; and I think I never saw a
man look so utterly surprised in all my life.
"He said: 'Madam, I have to apologize. We are all liable to make
mistakes, and I have made one. Your secret is, of course, safe in my
keeping; and in return for it I will tell you