-well, it's a fair knockout!"

"We ought to have made our fortunes out of a jay like that," Mr.
Montague agreed, with a shade of sadness in his tone.

* * * * *

About a fortnight later, two very agitated looking visitors burst
precipitately into Jacob's outer office. Mr. Montague's complexion was
of that pasty hue described as chalky white. He was breathing
heavily, and he had lost all that nice precision of speech intended to
convey the suggestion that in his leisure hours he was a man of
culture. Mr. Littleham was still more out of breath. His necktie had
disappeared around his neck, and beads of perspiration were standing
out upon his forehead.

"Where's the guv'nor?" Mr. Montague almost shouted.

"Boss in?" Mr. Littleham demanded simultaneously.

Dauncey rose from his seat and eyed the visitors coldly.

"Have you an appointment with Mr. Pratt?" he asked.

"Appointment be damned!" the builder began. "We want--"

"Look here," Mr. Montague interrupted, the methods of his race
asserting themselves in his persuasive tone, "it is most important
that we should see Mr. Pratt at once."

"Nothing wrong Cropstone way, is there?" Dauncey enquired. "I thought
you were out of that now."

"Is the guv'nor in or isn't he?" Littleham demanded, mopping his
forehead.

Dauncey spoke through an office telephone, and after a very brief
delay threw open the door of the private office and ushered in the two
callers. Jacob looked up from some papers as they entered and stared
at them a little blankly.

"Good morning, gentlemen," he said. "I thought we'd parted company for
a time."

Littleham, usually the silent partner, asserted himself then. He
pushed the trembling Montague to one side and stood squarely before
the desk.

"Look here, Pratt," he demanded, "have you bought the Cropstone Wood,
Water and Electric Light Company?"

"Certainly I have," Jacob replied. "What about it?"

"When?"

"Oh, within a few days of your first coming to me."

"Within a few days?" Mr. Montague almost shrieked.

Jacob leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and glanced with a
momentary satisfaction at his well-polished brown shoes and white
gaiters.

"My good friends," he said, "you could scarcely expect me to put down
twenty thousand pounds for land, without making arrangements for the
water supply and lighting? I went into the matter with a local
solicitor and found that, as the Company was practi