I told him,
of course, that you were my partner in this, and that is why he proposed
the price should be made two hundred thousand pounds.'
'I suppose he seemed indifferent on the question whether it should pay a
dividend on that amount of money or not?'
'He didn't mention that particularly--at least, he did not dwell upon it.
He asked if it would pay a dividend on two hundred thousand, and I told
him I thought it would pay ten per cent. if rightly managed; then he said
of course that was its price, and we should be great fools to float it at
fifty thousand pounds when it was really worth two hundred thousand.'
Wentworth pondered for a few minutes on this, tapping his pencil on the
desk and knitting his brow.
'It seems an awful jump, from fifty thousand pounds to two hundred
thousand pounds, doesn't it, John?'
'Yes, it does; it has a certain look of swindling about it. But what a
glorious thing it would be if it could be done, and if it would pay the
right percentage when we got the scheme working!'
'Of course I wouldn't be connected, nor you either, with anything that
was bogus.'
'Certainly not. I wouldn't think for a moment of inflating it if I were
not positive the property would stand it. I have been making, and have
here in my pocket, an elaborate array of figures which will show
approximately what the mine will yield, and I am quite convinced that it
will pay at least ten per cent., and possible twelve or fifteen.
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