"But Brake had other associations with Barthorpe--a bit later.

He got to know--got into close touch with a Barthorpe man who, about the time of Brake's marriage, left Barthorpe end settled in London.

Brake and this man began to have some secret dealings together.
There was another man in with them, too--a man who was a sort of partner of the Barthorpe man's.

Brake had evidently a belief in these men, and he trusted them--unfortunately for himself he sometimes trusted the bank's money to them.

I know what happened--he used to let them have money for short financial transactions--to be refunded within a very brief space.