YouwilladmitthatReggiehadreasontocallhisnewAccountantaNaturalCuriosityThetwomenfailedtohititoffatallRileyconsideredReggieawild，feather-headedidiot，giventoHeavenonlyknewwhatdissipationinlowplacescalled“Messes。”andtotallyunfitfortheseriousandsolemnvocationofbankingHecouldnevergetoverReggie’slookofyouthand“you-be-damned“air；
andhecouldn’tunderstandReggie’sfriends——clean-built，carelessmenintheArmy——whorodeovertobigSundaybreakfastsattheBank，andtoldsultrystoriestillRileygotupandlefttheroomRileywasalwaysshowingReggiehowthebusinessoughttobeconducted，andReggiehadmorethanoncetoremindhimthatsevenyears’limitedexperiencebetweenHuddersfieldandBeverlydidnotqualifyamantosteerabigup-countrybusinessThenRileysulkedandreferredtohimselfasapillaroftheBankandacherishedfriendoftheDirectors，andReggietorehishairIfaman’sEnglishsubordinatesfailhiminthiscountry，hecomestoahardtimeindeed，fornativehelphasstrictlimitationsInthewinterRileywentsickforweeksatatimewithhislungcomplaint，andthisthrewmoreworkonReggieButhepreferredittotheeverlastingfrictionwhenRileywaswell。
OneoftheTravellingInspectorsoftheBankdiscoveredthesecollapsesandreportedthemtotheDirectorsNowRileyhadbeenfoistedontheBankbyanMP。，whowantedthesupportofRiley’sfather，who，again，wasanxioustogethissonouttoawarmerclimatebecauseofthoselungsTheMPhadaninterestintheBank；butoneoftheDirectorswantedtoadvanceanomineeofhisown；and，afterRiley’sfatherhaddied，hemadetherestoftheBoardseethatanAccountantwhowassickforhalftheyear，hadbettergiveplacetoahealthymanIfRileyhadknowntherealstoryofhisappointment，hemighthavebehavedbetter；butknowingnothing，hisstretchesofsicknessalternatedwithrestless，persistent，meddlingirritationofReggie，andallthehundredwaysinwhichconceitinasubordinatesituationcanfindplayReggieusedtocallhimstrikingandhair-curlingnamesbehindhisbackasarelieftohisownfeelings；butheneverabusedhimtohisface，becausehesaid：“Rileyissuchafrailbeastthathalfofhisloathsomeconceitisduetopainsinthechest。”
LateoneApril，RileywentverysickindeedThedoctorpunchedhimandthumpedhim，andtoldhimhewouldbebetterbeforelong。
ThenthedoctorwenttoReggieandsaid：——“DoyouknowhowsickyourAccountantis？”“No！”saidReggie——“Theworsethebetter，confoundhim！He’saclackingnuisancewhenhe’swellI’llletyoutakeawaytheBankSafeifyoucandrughimsilentforthishot-weather。”
Butthedoctordidnotlaugh——“Man，I’mnotjoking。”hesaid“I’llgivehimanotherthreemonthsinhisbedandaweekorsomoretodieinOnmyhonorandreputationthat’sallthegracehehasinthisworldConsumptionhasholdofhimtothemarrow。”
Reggie’sfacechangedatonceintothefaceof“MrReginaldBurke。”
andheanswered：——“WhatcanIdo？”
“Nothing。”saidthedoctor“ForallpracticalpurposesthemanisdeadalreadyKeephimquietandcheerfulandtellhimhe’sgoingtorecoverThat’sallI’lllookafterhimtotheend，ofcourse。”
Thedoctorwentaway，andReggiesatdowntoopentheeveningmail。
HisfirstletterwasonefromtheDirectors，intimatingforhisinformationthatMrRileywastoresign，underamonth’snotice，bythetermsofhisagreement，tellingReggiethattheirlettertoRileywouldfollowandadvisingReggieofthecomingofanewAccountant，amanwhomReggieknewandliked。
Reggielitacheroot，and，beforehehadfinishedsmoking，hehadsketchedtheoutlineofafraudHeputaway——“burked“——theDirectorsletter，andwentintotalktoRiley，whowasasungraciousasusual，andfrettinghimselfoverthewaythebankwouldrunduringhisillnessHeneverthoughtoftheextraworkonReggie’sshoulders，butsolelyofthedamagetohisownprospectsofadvancementThenReggieassuredhimthateverythingwouldbewell，andthathe，Reggie，wouldconferwithRileydailyonthemanagementoftheBankRileywasalittlesoothed，buth...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：