"Will you not be seated,
Sir?" he said, pointing to a chair. "Sit down, young gentlemen."
His quiet dignity, his perfect courtesy, recalled the Captain to
himself. "I beg your pardon, Mr. Rae, but I am really much disturbed.
Can we begin at once?" He glanced as he spoke at Mr. Dunn, who
immediately rose.
"Sit down, Mr. Dunn," said Mr. Rae quietly. "I have asked this young
gentleman," he continued, turning to the Captain, "to remain. He has
already given me valuable assistance. I fancy he may be able to serve us
still further, if he will be so good."
Mr. Dunn bowed in silence.
"Now let us proceed with what must be an exceedingly painful matter for
us all, and out of which nothing but extreme candour on the part of Mr.
Allan here, and great wisdom on the part of us all, can possibly extract
us." Mr. Rae's glance rested upon the Captain, who bowed, and upon his
son, who made no sign whatever, but remained with his face set in the
same sullen gloom with which he had greeted his father.
Mr. Rae opened a drawer and brought forth a slip of paper. "Mr. Allan,"
he said, with a certain sharpness in his tone, "please look at this."
Cameron came to the desk, picked up the paper, glanced at it. "It is my
father's cheque," he said, "which I received about a week ago."
"Look at the endorsement, please," said Mr.
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