d begin to deal with the business of the day.
But on this morning the bell went within twelve minutes, as Mr. Ison (a
most precise person) noted on the clock.

"Bring the letter book," said Mr. Rattar. "And the business ledger."

"Letter book and business ledger?" repeated Mr. Ison, looking a little
surprised.

Mr. Rattar nodded.

The head clerk turned away and then paused and glanced at the bundle of
papers Mr. Rattar had brought back with him. He had expected these to be
dealt with first thing.

"About this Thomson business--" he began.

"It can wait."

The lawyer's manner was peremptory and the clerk fetched the letter
book and ledger. These contained, between them, a record of all the
recent business of the firm, apart from public business and the affairs
of one large estate. What could be the reason for such a comprehensive
examination, Mr. Ison could not divine, but Mr. Rattar never gave
reasons unless he chose, and the clerk who would venture to ask him was
not to be found on the staff of Silent Simon.

In a minute or two the head clerk returned with the books. This time he
was wearing his spectacles and his first glance through them at Mr.
Rattar gave him an odd sensation. The lawyer's mouth was as hard set and
his eyes were as steady as ever. Yet something about his expression
seemed a little unusual. Some unexpected business had turned up to
disturb him, Mr. Ison felt sure; and indeed, this seemed certain from
his request for the letter book and ledger. He now noticed also the cut
on his chin, a sure sign that something had interrupted the orderly
tenor of Simon Rattar's life, if ever there was one. Mr. Ison tried to
guess whose business could have taken such a turn as to make Silent
Simon cut himself with his razor, but though he had many virtues,
imagination was not among them and he had to confess that it was fairly
beyond James Ison.

And yet, curiously enough, his one remark to a fellow clerk was not
unlike the comment of the imaginative Mary MacLean.

"The boss has a kin' of unusual look to-day. There was something kin'
of suspicious in that eye of his--rather as though he thought someone
was watching him."

Mr. Rattar had been busy with the books for some twenty minutes when his
head clerk returned.

"Mr. Malcolm Cromarty to see you, sir," he said.

Silent Simon looked at him hard, and it was evident to his clerk that
his mind had been extraordinarily absorbed, for he simply repeated in