Page:Bailey - Call Mr Fortune (Dutton, 1921).djvu/108

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THE NICE GIRL
97

"Sorry, Radnor. You go on." Lady Lunt threw her cigarette away and dropped into a chair.

"Well, sir, to commence." Radnor Hall smoothed his black hair. "This firm never was Albert Lunt. It was Lunt Brothers. The late Sir Albert he was sure master. He put in the git up and git. But quite a lot of the head work came from Mr. Victor Lunt. And lately, Sir Albert having largely relapsed into living on his rents, Mr. Victor Lunt has had considerable control. Now, sir, speaking as man to man, I would wish to say that the methods of Lunt Brothers have been complex—highly complex. I conjecture that in early days Albert and Victor were both out for scalps. But in my time, Sir Albert having mellowed, largely mellowed—under prosperity and certain influences——"

"Oh, don't blether, Radnor," Lady Lunt exploded.

"Well, Mr. Fortune, Sir Albert has lately showed a tendency to more conservative methods of finance. Mr. Victor Lunt has gone on putting in his sharp head work. There has been friction, sir—some friction. Now in this affair of Cranford's—without prejudice, I would like to say that Mr. Cranford has been hardly used by Lunt Brothers."

"He's been damnably cheated," said Lady Lunt.

"There's a point of view," said Radnor Hall. "Lady Lunt had put her point of view to Sir Albert. Well, sir, the Cranford case was largely handled by