additional knowledge today of the character of these
representations. Nothing definite had been alleged, but some of the
members of the Committee had been informally notified, so Semple had
this morning learned, that a specific charge of fraud, supported
by unanswerable proof, was to be brought against the Rubber Consols
management on the morrow. Thorpe reasoned out now, step by step, what
that meant. Lord Plowden had sought out Rostocker and Aronson, and
had told them that he had it in his power ignominiously to break the
"corner." He could hardly have told them the exact nature of his power,
because until he should have seen Tavender he did not himself know what
it was. But he had given them to understand that he could prove fraud,
and they, scenting in this the chance of saving 200,000 pounds, and
seeing that time was so terribly short, had hastened to the Committeemen
with this vague declaration that, on the morrow, they could prove--they
did not precisely know what. Yes--plainly enough--that was what had
happened. And it would be these two Jew "wreckers," eager to invest
their speculative notification to the Committee with as much of an
air of formality as possible, who had caused the allusions to it to be
published in these papers.

Thorpe's lustreless eye suddenly twinkled with mirth as he reached this
conclusion; his heavy face brightened into a grin of delight. A vision
of Lord Plowden's absurd predicament rose vividly before him, and he
chuckled aloud at it.

It seemed only the most natural thing in the world that, at this
instant, a clerk should open the door and nod with meaning to the
master. The visitor whom he had warned the people in the outer office
he expected, had arrived. Thorpe was still laughing to himself when Lord
Plowden entered.

"Hallo! How d'ye do!" he called out to him from where he sat at his
desk.

The hilarity of the manner into which he had been betrayed, upon the
instant surprised and rather confused him. He had not been altogether
clear as to how he should receive Plowden, but certainly a warm
joviality had not occurred to him as appropriate.

The nobleman was even more taken aback. He stared momentarily at the
big man's beaming mask, and then, with nervous awkwardness, executed a
series of changes in his own facial expression and demeanour. He flushed
red, opened his lips to say "Ah!" and then twisted them into a doubting
and seemingly painful smile. He looked with very bright-e