takings was so clear and easily to be understood, but the side which showed
their takings wrapt in mystery and hieroglyphics such as not even the
world's leading financiers and mathematicians could hope to unravel? My
subaltern, being consulted, agreed with me; I would have had him carpeted
by the C.O. at once if he hadn't.

I stepped round to COX AND CO. and had it out with them verbally. After a
discussion lasting half-an-hour, it was shown that I had been credited with
a week's pay to which I wasn't entitled and that a month's income-tax, to
which a grasping Government _was_ entitled, had not been deducted. I left
the building ninety-three shillings worse off than I entered it.

I gave COX AND CO. six months to go wrong in, and then called for that
pass-book again. My eye fell upon a paying and deducting and refunding and
readjusting of an item itself so shameful that it dared only appear under
its initials. Why this oscillation? I asked myself. So we engaged upon
another correspondence, and another interview took place, at which I was
supported by my subaltern (who could multiply and add), and the bank-man
was supported by a young lady (who could divide and subtract). At the end
of a passionate discussion, which lasted fifty-seven minutes (forty-five of
them being after closing time) the conclusion was arrived at that the total
was correct to a halfpenny. Even COX AND CO. themselves were a bit
surprised at that.

Years passed, and there was no doubt about it; the money continued to
disappear. Trusting that COX AND CO. were now lulled into a feeling of
false security I tried a surprise reconnaissance. I dropped in on them
without warning and asked to see that pass-book then and there. They
searched high and low, but they couldn't find it. I, on the other hand,
found it quite easily, when I searched amongst my papers at home. To me