Alan felt that the crisis had come.  He must speak now or for ever hold his peace; indeed Aylward was already looking round for his hat.

“Sir Robert and Mr. Haswell,” he broke in rather nervously, “I have something to say to you, something unpleasant,” and he paused.

“Then please say it at once, Vernon.  I want to dress for dinner, I am going to the theatre to-night and must dine early,” replied Aylward in a voice of the utmost unconcern.

“It is, Sir Robert,” went on Alan with a rush, “that I do not like the lines upon which this business is being worked, and I wish to give up my interest in it and retire from the firm, as I have a right to do under our deed of partnership.”

“Have you?” said Aylward.  “Really, I forget.  But, my dear fellow, do not think that we should wish to keep you for one moment against your will.  Only, might I ask, has that old puritan, Jackson, hypnotized you, or is it a case of sudden madness after influenza?”

“Neither,” answered Alan sternly, for although he might be diffident on matters that he did not thoroughly understand, he was not a man to brook trifling or impertinence.  “It is what I have said, no more nor less.  I am not satisfied either as to the capitalization or as to the guarantee that the enterprise can be really carried out.  Further”—­and he paused,—­“Further, I should like what I have never yet been able to obtain, more information as to that Firman under which the concession is granted.”

For one moment a sort of tremor passed over Sir Robert’s impassive countenance, while Mr. Haswell uttered his windy whistle, this time in a tone of plaintive remonstrance.

“As you have formally resigned your membership of the firm, I do not see that any useful purpose can be served by discussing such matters.  The fullest explanations, of course, we should have been willing to give——­”

“My dear Alan,” broke in Mr. Champers-Haswell, who was quite upset, “I do implore you to reflect for one moment, for your own sake.  In a single week you would have been a wealthy man; do you really mean to throw away everything for a whim?”

“Perhaps Vernon remembers that he holds over 1700 of the Syndicate shares which we have worked up to L18, and thinks it wiser to capture the profit in sight, generally speaking a very sound principle,” interrupted Aylward sarcastically.

“You are mistaken, Sir Robert,” replied Alan, flushing.  “The way that those shares have been artificially put up is one of the things to which I most object.  I shall only ask for mine the face value which I paid for them.”

Now notwithstanding their experience, both of the senior partners did for a moment look rather scared.  Such folly, or such honesty, was absolutely incredible to them.  They felt that there must be much behind.  Sir Robert, however, recovered instantly.

“Very well,” he said; “it is not for us to dictate to you; you must make your own bed and lie on it.  To argue or remonstrate would only be rude.”  He put out his hand and pushed the button of an electric bell, adding as he did so, “Of course we understand one thing, Vernon, namely, that as a gentleman and a man of honour you will make no public use of the information which you have acquired during your stay in this office, either to our detriment, personal or financial, or to your own advantage.”