And so you kept on
collecting and collecting for something more than three years. Now do
you understand the charge?'
Mr. Macpherson's head during this accusation was held slightly inclined
to one side. At first his face was clouded by the most clever
imitation of anxious concentration of mind I had ever seen, and this
was gradually cleared away by the dawn of awakening perception. When I
had finished, an ingratiating smile hovered about his lips.
'Really, you know,' he said, 'that is rather a capital scheme. The
absent-minded league, as one might call them. Most ingenious.
Summertrees, if he had any sense of humour, which he hasn't, would be
rather taken by the idea that his innocent fad for Christian Science
had led him to be suspected of obtaining money under false pretences.
But, really, there are no pretensions about the matter at all. As I
understand it, I simply call and receive the money through the
forgetfulness of the persons on my list, but where I think you would
have both Summertrees and myself, if there was anything in your
audacious theory, would be an indictment for conspiracy. Still, I
quite see how the mistake arises. You have jumped to the conclusion
that we sold nothing to Lord Semptam except that carved table three
years ago.
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