(he looked
sourly round), "'of our late superintendent,' who so--er--ill-advisedly
(I say--ill-advisedly) committed suicide, at a time when his services
were of the utmost value to this Company. You have stated that the
agreement which he has so unfortunately cut short with his own hand was
for a period of five years, of which one only had expired--I--"

Old Jolyon made a gesture of impatience.

"I believe I am in order, Mr. Chairman--I ask whether this amount paid,
or proposed to be paid, by the Board to the er--deceased--is for
services which might have been rendered to the Company--had he not
committed suicide?"

"It is in recognition of past services, which we all know--you as well as
any of us--to have been of vital value."

"Then, sir, all I have to say is that the services being past, the amount
is too much."

The shareholder sat down.

Old Jolyon waited a second and said: "I now propose that the report
and--"

The shareholder rose again: "May I ask if the Board realizes that it is
not their money which--I don't hesitate to say that if it were their
money...."

A second shareholder, with a round, dogged face, whom Soames recognised
as the late superintendent's brother-in-law, got up and said warmly: "In
my opinion, sir, the sum is not enough!"

The Rev. Mr. Boms now rose to his feet. "If I may venture to express
myself," he said, "I should say that the fact of the--er--deceased
having committed suicide should weigh very heavily--very heavily with
our worthy chairman. I have no doubt it has weighed with him, for--I say
this for myself and I think for everyone present (hear, hear)--he enjoys
our confidence in a high degree. We all desire, I should hope, to be
charitable. But I feel sure" (he-looked severely at the late
superintendent's brother-in-law) "that he will in some way, by some
written expression, or better perhaps by reducing the amount, record our
grave disapproval that so promising and valuable a life should have been
thus impiously removed from a sphere where both its own interests and--if
I may say so--our interests so imperatively demanded its continuance. We
should not--nay, we may not--countenance so grave a dereliction of all
duty, both human and divine."

The reverend gentleman resumed his seat. The late superintendent's
brother-in-law again rose: "What I have said I stick to," he said; "the
amount is not enough!"

The first shareholder struck in: "I challenge the legality o