'
'And is she here to find out about the mine?'
'Exactly. She was put on the job after Rivers had failed.'
'George!' said Kenyon, suddenly dropping his companion's arm and facing
him. 'What have you told her?'
'There is the misery of it. I have told her everything.'
'My dear fellow, how could you be----'
'Oh, I know--I know! I know everything you would say. Everything you can
say I have said to myself, and ten times more and ten times worse. There
is nothing you can say of me more bitter than what I think about myself.'
'Did you tell her anything about _my_ report?'
'I told her everything--_everything_! Do you understand? She is going
to telegraph from Queenstown the full essence of the reports--of both
our reports.'
'Heavens! this is fearful. Is there no way to prevent her sending it?'
'If you think you can prevent her, I wish you would try it.'
'How did you find it out? Did _she_ tell you?'
'Oh, it doesn't matter how I found it out. I did find it out. A man told
me who she was; then I asked her, and she was perfectly frank about it.
She read me the report, even.'
'Read it to you?'
'Yes, read it to me, and punctuated it in my presence--put in some words
that I suggested as being better than those she had used. Oh, it was the
coolest piece of work you ever saw!'
'But there must be some way of preventing her getting that account to New
York in time. You see, all we have to do is to wire your people to hand
in our report to the directors, and then hers is forestalled.
Pages:
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83