limp and helpless in his secretarial chair.
Malthus then approached Stott. By this time he had cooled down and had evidently taken legal advice. He was outwardly friendly, said that Stott had been prompt in his action, and proposed an amalgamation, his people putting up half the money. Stott apparently was equally polite, though clear as crystal that nothing was doing. Malthus then lost his temper and became abusive, threatening Stott with proceedings involving all sorts of penalties. Stott in effect said, “Go ahead,” and the interview terminated with heat and promptitude.
Further negotiations then took place through the principals’ respective solicitors. Stott’s position was that if an action for obtaining money, to wit the ship, under false pretences was brought, he would prosecute Malthus for stealing his idea. The position eventually was tacitly accepted as stalemate by Malthus, though Stott claimed to have won the match. Malthus replied to this that Stott might have won the first round, but that his turn would quickly come. Malthus, indeed, was very outspoken. Bristow was able to find no less than five distinct witnesses who had heard him swear that if he couldn’t get legal redress, he would take the law into his own hands. He would do Stott in, even if he choked him with his bare hands and swung for it.
So far as Morrison was concerned, things then began to move. Bristow appeared with a revised agreement which guaranteed him his 10 percent, of the net profits of the scheme, as well as his £500 a year all found. Further, Morrison was to resign as soon as possible from the Agency, his new salary starting on the date the old one ceased. His work would be general assistance with the transport side of the venture and he would carry on in a suite of offices which Stott had rented.
With intense eagerness, Morrison looked forward to this new phase of his life.
5
STOTT SPRINGS A SURPRISE
Morrison found the days during which he worked his notice as irksome as any he had ever experienced. Faced with a revolution in his life, the common round and the daily task assumed monstrous proportions of distaste. His mind, full of coming excitements and delights, refused to concentrate on mere mundane matters, such as the services between Harwich and Flushing or the amount of free luggage allowed on French railways. He longed to fling out of the office, shouting to the world that his term of servitude was over.
The news that the
Hellenic
had been sold, not for breaking up but for summer cruising, revived public interest in the great ship. The papers were full of stories of her career: how at one time in her second year of life she had held the Blue Riband of the Atlantic; how she had stood by a foundering Greek tanker in a blizzard, and by the exercise of superhuman skill and courage, together with a liberal use of oil, had rescued her entire crew; how she had carried through the gales of the dreaded Western Ocean kings and potentates, film stars and millionaires, not to mention hundreds of thousands of smaller fry, all without the loss of a single life. She had been a popular ship, holding an established place in the public regard, as had the old
Mauretania
before her. Sentimentalists rejoiced that her approaching dissolution was postponed and amateur strategists wrote letters to the papers advising that she be kept available for the transport of troops in time of war.
For the first three days after leaving the Agency, Morrison found little to do, but on the fourth there came a summons to a conference in the new offices.
He was early at the rendezvous. It was soon evident that the meeting was to be of importance. Stott was there, barking out questions and directions. Bristow, arranging papers, was obviously trying to hide both his annoyance and his excitement, and not entirely succeeding in either. Four other men were present, two middle-aged and two elderly. One of the elder was a short, stout fellow with a broad smile
Malthus then approached Stott. By this time he had cooled down and had evidently taken legal advice. He was outwardly friendly, said that Stott had been prompt in his action, and proposed an amalgamation, his people putting up half the money. Stott apparently was equally polite, though clear as crystal that nothing was doing. Malthus then lost his temper and became abusive, threatening Stott with proceedings involving all sorts of penalties. Stott in effect said, “Go ahead,” and the interview terminated with heat and promptitude.
Further negotiations then took place through the principals’ respective solicitors. Stott’s position was that if an action for obtaining money, to wit the ship, under false pretences was brought, he would prosecute Malthus for stealing his idea. The position eventually was tacitly accepted as stalemate by Malthus, though Stott claimed to have won the match. Malthus replied to this that Stott might have won the first round, but that his turn would quickly come. Malthus, indeed, was very outspoken. Bristow was able to find no less than five distinct witnesses who had heard him swear that if he couldn’t get legal redress, he would take the law into his own hands. He would do Stott in, even if he choked him with his bare hands and swung for it.
So far as Morrison was concerned, things then began to move. Bristow appeared with a revised agreement which guaranteed him his 10 percent, of the net profits of the scheme, as well as his £500 a year all found. Further, Morrison was to resign as soon as possible from the Agency, his new salary starting on the date the old one ceased. His work would be general assistance with the transport side of the venture and he would carry on in a suite of offices which Stott had rented.
With intense eagerness, Morrison looked forward to this new phase of his life.
5
STOTT SPRINGS A SURPRISE
Morrison found the days during which he worked his notice as irksome as any he had ever experienced. Faced with a revolution in his life, the common round and the daily task assumed monstrous proportions of distaste. His mind, full of coming excitements and delights, refused to concentrate on mere mundane matters, such as the services between Harwich and Flushing or the amount of free luggage allowed on French railways. He longed to fling out of the office, shouting to the world that his term of servitude was over.
The news that the
Hellenic
had been sold, not for breaking up but for summer cruising, revived public interest in the great ship. The papers were full of stories of her career: how at one time in her second year of life she had held the Blue Riband of the Atlantic; how she had stood by a foundering Greek tanker in a blizzard, and by the exercise of superhuman skill and courage, together with a liberal use of oil, had rescued her entire crew; how she had carried through the gales of the dreaded Western Ocean kings and potentates, film stars and millionaires, not to mention hundreds of thousands of smaller fry, all without the loss of a single life. She had been a popular ship, holding an established place in the public regard, as had the old
Mauretania
before her. Sentimentalists rejoiced that her approaching dissolution was postponed and amateur strategists wrote letters to the papers advising that she be kept available for the transport of troops in time of war.
For the first three days after leaving the Agency, Morrison found little to do, but on the fourth there came a summons to a conference in the new offices.
He was early at the rendezvous. It was soon evident that the meeting was to be of importance. Stott was there, barking out questions and directions. Bristow, arranging papers, was obviously trying to hide both his annoyance and his excitement, and not entirely succeeding in either. Four other men were present, two middle-aged and two elderly. One of the elder was a short, stout fellow with a broad smile
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