Chapter 27

"He generally gave me a letter to take to the bank manager, asking him to cash the cheque. I've been to Birmingham and Bristol and----" "That's all right." Smith leaned heavily on the table. "Who was he--Washington Wirth?" Mike shook his head. "Honestly I don't know. If I die this minute I don't know. I got in touch with him after my last bankruptcy proceedings had appeared in the newspapers. He wrote to me and said how sorry he was that a clever man like me had got into trouble, and offered to finance me." "A writ…