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"I don't quite like it," murmured Sir Francis. "Not the right thing, you know." Larssen did not answer, but Olive rejoined sharply: "What does it matter if it helps to get the flotation off and make money?" "Well, perhaps so. Still " "Can you fix up St Aubyn and Carleton-Wingate?" asked Larssen. "Quickly?" "Yes, I expect so. But has Clifford approved this scheme?" "Of course."
Sir Francis gasped his admiration of the daring offer. "That's pluck!" he exclaimed. "Well, what do you say? Are you agreeable, for one?" "Certainly certainly!" "Then will you bring St Aubyn and Carleton-Wingate here, and get their consent? Say to-morrow morning?" "That's very short notice." "You can get them on the telephone.
He held out a paper between Sir Francis and Olive, and Sir Francis took it and read it over with an air of concentrated, conscious wisdom the air he carefully donned at Board meetings, together with a pair of gold-rimmed pince-nez. "Clifford will be Chairman," explained Larssen. "You and Lord St Aubyn and Carleton-Wingate are the men I want for the other Directors.
Clifford Matheson heads the festal board, and the other revellers at the guinea-feast are the Right Hon. Lord St Aubyn, Sir Francis Letchmere, Bart., and G. Lowndes Hawley Carleton-Wingate, M.P. Lars Larssen sits below the salt to wit, joins the Board after allotment. The capital is to be a cool five million, and if I were a prophet I'd tell you whether they'll get it or not."
The men smoked at Olive's request; and she herself lighted one of a special brand of cigarettes which she had made for her by Antonides. "I hate to have my drawing-room smelling of afternoon-tea and feminine chit-chat," she explained. "The two Carleton-Wingate frumps called on me this afternoon for a couple of solid hours' boring, which they dignify to themselves as a duty call.
We agreed the scheme in principle at the interview in Clifford's office, and he left details to you and me. His last words were: 'Tell my father-in-law to go ahead as quickly as he can manage." "But when I put this before St Aubyn and Carleton-Wingate, they'll be expecting me to I mean to say, isn't it deuced irregular, you know?" Larssen did not answer this for a moment.
Heading the prospectus were these names on the Board of Directors: Clifford Matheson, Esq. The Right Hon. Lord St Aubyn, P.C., K.C.V.O. Sir Francis Letchmere, Bart. Gervase Lowndes Hawley Carleton-Wingate, Esq., M.P. Lars Larssen, Esq. To join the Board after allotment. The capital was divided into 5,000,000 Ordinary £1 Shares, and 4,000,000 Deferred Shares of 1s.
Matheson ignored the retort. "You've told my wife and my father-in-law that I was alive." "I knew you were alive. Is that your idea of fraud?" "I'm not going to quibble over words. Believing me to be dead, you had me impersonated, planning to use my name on the Hudson Bay scheme." "I've not used your name." "You used it to induce St Aubyn and Carleton-Wingate to come on the Board."
Matheson also prepared letters to Sir Francis Letchmere, Lord St Aubyn, and Carleton-Wingate, giving a statement of his reasons for the announcement in the Daily Truth of the next morning, and asking them to send telegrams to all those who had made applications for shares. The telegram to be sent out was worded:
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