Chapter VIII

Mr Hale was considerably annoyed next morning by the arrival of Mr Egbert Standing and a large leather suitcase full of unsorted papers. One of Mr Hale’s clerks brought in the suitcase and placed it on the floor, whereupon Egbert with a wave of the hand commanded him to open it. ‘It isn’t locked—I never lock things—you just slide back those what-d’you-call-its.’ The clerk slid back the what-d’you-call-its and lifted the top. A mask of crumpled paper met the eye. ‘There!’ said Egbert. ‘My man tells me that’s the lot…