"She talked to me for some time. At the beginning, I thought
it strange!"

"It's pretty obvious that you don't like her," Cartwright remarked.

"Ellen Seaton is not my sort, but I understand she was a friend of
yours."

"She was my friend," said Cartwright carelessly. "It's long since, and I
rather doubt if she is my friend now."

"Then why did she buy her shares in the line?"

"Ellen did not buy the shares. Seaton bought them when shipping was
good."

Mrs. Cartwright looked relieved and Cartwright resumed: "All the same, I
don't see her object for telling you she was a shareholder."

"She wanted to sell her shares to me; I knew she had some plan when she
crossed the floor. I was talking to Janet, but Ellen got Janet away and
persuaded a young man on the other side to move. It was clever. I don't
think Mrs. Oliver or anybody else remarked what she was doing. But you
know Ellen!"

"I know Ellen rather well," said Cartwright dryly. "However, when you
saw she wanted to get you alone, why did you indulge her?"

"For one thing, I was curious; then it wasn't worth while to spoil her
plan. I didn't think Ellen would persuade me, if I did not approve."

Cartwright smiled. Clara did not argue much and generally agreed with
him, but sometimes she was as immovable as a rock. He pictured with
amusement the little comedy at Mrs. Oliver's, but all the same he was
annoyed.

"Well, Ellen wanted you to buy her shares? Did she give you any
grounds?"

"She declared she wanted money. Then she said it would help you if I
took the lot. There might be a dispute at the meeting; the directors'
report would not be satisfactory. People would ask awkward questions,
and she expected some organized opposition. It would be useful for you
to command a large number of votes."

Cartwright's face got red. Ellen was well informed; in fact, it was
ominous that she knew so much. Had she not been greedy, he thought she
would have kept the shares in order to vote against him, but she
obviously meant to sell them before the crash she expected came. If a
number of others agreed with her, his retirement would be forced.

"What price were you to pay?" he asked.

Mrs. Cartwright told him, and he laughed. "If Ellen found a buyer at a
number of shillings less, she would be lucky! Well, I understand you
didn't take her offer?"

"I did not," said Mrs. Cartwright tranquilly. "When I wanted to buy some
shares not long since, you did not approve. Si