In silence General Gordon listened to his report and the messages he had brought from Sir Evelyn.

Many experts said that put him in line to succeed Sir Evelyn, who is 64, as chairman of the entire bank.

Sir Evelyn's oldest son is considered too young for the job and is reported to have shown little interest in finance.

She is engaged to the stuffy Sir Evelyn.

Sir Evelyn probably received about £20,000 in the eventual settlement.

Sir Evelyn has a reputation for severity, and the starkly empty corridors seem to bear it out.

"I think we can compete with them outside the United States," Sir Evelyn said.

While it seems all but certain that David will be Sir Evelyn's successor, neither would say so.

"It's not the end of the world, it's the beginning," Sir Evelyn, 72, said in a telephone interview.

"The conflicts of interest that have risen in investment banks around the world have made customers want to go somewhere else," Sir Evelyn said.