be paid out and the account closed today. I’ve fixed it with the manager.”
“It’s as smart as anything I’ve ever seen,” Bristow declared as he put a sheet of the new paper in his typewriter. “They’ll suspect nothing.”
“Not if we’re first in the field,” Stott returned a little grimly. “However, that’s a risk we can’t avoid.”
“Could we not have gone yesterday?”
“No. Haste like that would have looked suspicious. Besides, we had to leave time for the supposed board.”
Having rehearsed what was to be said at the interview, they walked to the Cockspur Street offices and asked for Amberley. A glance at his face told them that they were in time.
“I’m back here sooner than I expected, Mr Amberley,” began Bristow. “May I introduce Mr Stott, one of our directors?”
Amberley had been looking curiously at Stott, and when Bristow mentioned his name he made a little gesture of recognition.
“How do you do, Mr Stott?” he said, smiling. “We’ve met before, though you’ve forgotten it. We crossed the Atlantic together in one of our ships, five – no, let me see – six years ago. It was the
Hellenic
, too, I remember.”
Stott, who Bristow now saw could be extremely pleasant when he chose, looked closely at Amberley, then smiled in his turn. “Why, of course, Mr Amberley, I remember you well. But I don’t think I tumbled to it that you were connected with the company.”
Amberley shook his head. “I kept that dark,” he declared. “Some excuse, too. I avoided complaints and suggestions and all sorts of embarrassments.”
“An emperor travelling incog. I hadn’t thought of that. I’m glad we’re going to prolong the
Hellenic’s
days. She’s a fine ship.”
“She’s always been a favourite: steady, you know; easy in a sea and no vibration.”
“Why are you selling her, if I may ask?” put in Bristow. “Now that the price is fixed, I don’t suppose it’s a secret.”
“No secret at all, Mr Bristow. She’s too slow and she burns too much oil. She does twenty-three knots, but that’s no good when you’re competing with over thirty.”
“But her hull’s all right?”
“Oh, Lord, yes! If it wasn’t, we daren’t have run her across the Atlantic.”
Stott didn’t seem pleased at the interruption, and Bristow quickly saw that he was a man who could never play second fiddle. He therefore remained silent and Stott went on: “I’ve called with our Secretary, Mr Amberley, in the place of our Chairman, Mr Malthus, who’s laid up with flu. We’ve come to tell you that the board has decided to take up our option on the
Hellenic
, and to hand over the purchase money. We had intended to defer the decision till our Chairman was again with us, but we want to carry out certain alterations before the cruising season begins, and there is so little time that every day makes a difference. So we got his approval over the telephone and went ahead.”
Amberley nodded gravely. “That’s very satisfactory news to us, Mr Stott. There’s not a great demand for these big ships, and we’ll be glad to have the
Hellenic
off our hands. Your hurry to get her will also please our board. As you can understand, harbour dues at Southampton are pretty considerable. I needn’t say we’ll facilitate you in every way possible.”
“Excellent,” Stott returned genially: “it’s pleasant when a transaction pleases both parties. I think you have the formal letter, Bristow?”
Bristow opened his attaché case. “Yes. Perhaps I may hand it over, Mr Amberley, with the cheque?”
“About that cheque,” Stott went on, “I wonder if it would be asking you too much to come with us to the bank and satisfy yourself” – he smiled to indicate that he was making a joke – “that we really are solvent? If so, we could perhaps complete the sale documents while we’re here. As you can see from the cheque, Bristow and I are competent to sign for the board.”
This was a proposal to
“It’s as smart as anything I’ve ever seen,” Bristow declared as he put a sheet of the new paper in his typewriter. “They’ll suspect nothing.”
“Not if we’re first in the field,” Stott returned a little grimly. “However, that’s a risk we can’t avoid.”
“Could we not have gone yesterday?”
“No. Haste like that would have looked suspicious. Besides, we had to leave time for the supposed board.”
Having rehearsed what was to be said at the interview, they walked to the Cockspur Street offices and asked for Amberley. A glance at his face told them that they were in time.
“I’m back here sooner than I expected, Mr Amberley,” began Bristow. “May I introduce Mr Stott, one of our directors?”
Amberley had been looking curiously at Stott, and when Bristow mentioned his name he made a little gesture of recognition.
“How do you do, Mr Stott?” he said, smiling. “We’ve met before, though you’ve forgotten it. We crossed the Atlantic together in one of our ships, five – no, let me see – six years ago. It was the
Hellenic
, too, I remember.”
Stott, who Bristow now saw could be extremely pleasant when he chose, looked closely at Amberley, then smiled in his turn. “Why, of course, Mr Amberley, I remember you well. But I don’t think I tumbled to it that you were connected with the company.”
Amberley shook his head. “I kept that dark,” he declared. “Some excuse, too. I avoided complaints and suggestions and all sorts of embarrassments.”
“An emperor travelling incog. I hadn’t thought of that. I’m glad we’re going to prolong the
Hellenic’s
days. She’s a fine ship.”
“She’s always been a favourite: steady, you know; easy in a sea and no vibration.”
“Why are you selling her, if I may ask?” put in Bristow. “Now that the price is fixed, I don’t suppose it’s a secret.”
“No secret at all, Mr Bristow. She’s too slow and she burns too much oil. She does twenty-three knots, but that’s no good when you’re competing with over thirty.”
“But her hull’s all right?”
“Oh, Lord, yes! If it wasn’t, we daren’t have run her across the Atlantic.”
Stott didn’t seem pleased at the interruption, and Bristow quickly saw that he was a man who could never play second fiddle. He therefore remained silent and Stott went on: “I’ve called with our Secretary, Mr Amberley, in the place of our Chairman, Mr Malthus, who’s laid up with flu. We’ve come to tell you that the board has decided to take up our option on the
Hellenic
, and to hand over the purchase money. We had intended to defer the decision till our Chairman was again with us, but we want to carry out certain alterations before the cruising season begins, and there is so little time that every day makes a difference. So we got his approval over the telephone and went ahead.”
Amberley nodded gravely. “That’s very satisfactory news to us, Mr Stott. There’s not a great demand for these big ships, and we’ll be glad to have the
Hellenic
off our hands. Your hurry to get her will also please our board. As you can understand, harbour dues at Southampton are pretty considerable. I needn’t say we’ll facilitate you in every way possible.”
“Excellent,” Stott returned genially: “it’s pleasant when a transaction pleases both parties. I think you have the formal letter, Bristow?”
Bristow opened his attaché case. “Yes. Perhaps I may hand it over, Mr Amberley, with the cheque?”
“About that cheque,” Stott went on, “I wonder if it would be asking you too much to come with us to the bank and satisfy yourself” – he smiled to indicate that he was making a joke – “that we really are solvent? If so, we could perhaps complete the sale documents while we’re here. As you can see from the cheque, Bristow and I are competent to sign for the board.”
This was a proposal to
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