I prefer to
leave to your nimble and penetrating mind things that want dash and
boldness. But to-night, yes, I was warmed with that wonderful port and
was bold."

"What did you do?" asked Mills.

"Well, I asked, I almost implored dear Morris to give me two or three
hours to-morrow and go through all the books, and satisfy himself
everything is in order, and his investments well looked after. I told him
also that the original L30,000 of his had, owing to judicious management,
become L40,000. You see, that is unfortunately a thing past praying for.
It is so indubitably clear from the earlier ledgers--"

"But the port must indeed have warmed you," said Mills quickly. "Why, it
was madness! What if he had consented?"

Mr. Taynton smiled.

"Ah, well, I in my slow synthetic manner had made up my mind that it was
really quite impossible that he should consent to go into the books and
vouchers. To begin with, he has a new motor car, and every hour spent
away from that car just now is to his mind an hour wasted. Also, I know
him well. I knew that he would never consent to spend several hours over
ledgers. Finally, even if he had, though I knew from what I know of him
not that he would not but that he _could_ not, I could have--I could have
managed something. You see, he knows nothing whatever about business or
investments."

Mills shook his head.

"But it was dangerous, anyhow," he said, "and I don't understand
what object could be served by it. It was running a risk with no
profit in view."

Then for the first time the inherent strength of the quietness of the one
man as opposed to the obvious quickness and comprehension of the other
came into play.

"I think that I disagree with you there, my dear fellow," said Mr.
Taynton slowly, "though when I have told you all, I shall be of course,
as always, delighted to recognise the superiority of your judgment,
should you disagree with me, and convince me of the correctness of your
view. It has happened, I know, a hundred times before that you with your
quick intuitive perceptions have been right."

But his partner interrupted him. He quite agreed with the sentiment, but
he wanted to learn without even the delay caused by these complimentary
remarks, the upshot of Taynton's rash proposal to Morris.

"What did young Assheton say?" he asked.

"Well, my dear fellow," said Taynton, "though I have really no doubt that
in principle I did a rash thing, in actual practice my st