Eales displayed his discoloured teeth in a mirthless smile.

“You don’t like paying for things, do you, Du Pine?” he remarked.

“I pay for what I get, not otherwise.”

In the taxi, Du Pine said affably, “Would you like me to drop you near Mount Street?”

“Why near Mount Street?”

“It occurred to me that Mrs. Eales might be glad of your company just now.”

“You can leave my wife out of it, blast you!” said Eales violently.

“Just as you please. Now next time——”

“There isn’t going to be a next time!”

“All the same, I think there is,” said Du Pine softly.

6
NOT IN THE INVENTORY

Monday, November 16th

“Mr. Harper?”

“Yes, Mr. Browne.”

“I want your attention, please. And yours too, Mr. Lewis.”

“Very good, sir.”

Harper put down the pencil with which he had been playing, and looked with disgust at his fellow employee. Not for the world would he have allowed himself to call Mr. Browne “sir”. Lewis saw the glance and scowled in reply. In every respect but their age and occupation the two young men were utterly dissimilar, and for various reasons they disliked each other cordially. Harper was slim, dark and sharp-featured. Lewis was pug-nosed, fair and heavily built. Lewis took his position and duties seriously. He was satisfied with his employment, which had come to him as the result of much hard labour at night classes and correspondence schools during long years of drudgery as an office boy. His ambition was to qualify himself as an auctioneer, surveyor and estate agent, and his horizon was bounded by a partnership in Inglewood, Browne & Co. Harper, on the contrary, considered himself thoroughly ill-treated by the fate which had thrown him abruptly out of Oxford into what he felt to be an unworthy occupation, and somewhat foolishly, he made no secret of the fact. He could not be induced to look upon his job as anything but a disagreeable necessity, and therefore treated it with a casualness that, combined with his indefinable and quite unintentional air of superiority, caused Lewis perpetual annoyance. In consequence, they avoided each other as much as was reasonably possible, but in a small office they were continually being thrown together and therefore continually jarring on each other.

“No. 27 Daylesford Gardens,” said Mr. Browne. He cleared his throat pompously. “Furnished letting, Miss Penrose to—to—er——”

“Colin James.”

“Thank you, Mr. Harper. To Mr. Colin James. For four weeks, expiring tomorrow. The tenant appears to have vacated the premises before the end of the lease. It is none the less our duty to protect our client’s interests to—ah—the best of our ability. Mr. Harper?”

“Yes, Mr. Browne.”

“You will please take Miss Penrose’s copy of the inventory of contents and check it carefully—carefully with—ah—with the contents. You understand?”

“Perfectly.”

“Making at the same time a careful note of any dilapidations which you may—which you may note.”

“Quite.”

“Mr. Lewis?”