'
'Longworth seems to think differently. He says you must impress the
public, and so he is going in for fine offices.'
'Yes, but who is to pay for them?'
'Why, we must, of course--you and Longworth and myself.'
'Have you the money?'
'I have a certain amount. I think we shall have enough to see it through,
and if not, we can easily get it, and settle up when we finish the
business.'
'Well, you know I have no money to spare.'
'Oh, I know that well enough. Perhaps Longworth will see us through,
for, as he says, this sort of thing can be spoilt by niggardliness. He
has known, and so have I, many a business go to pieces because of
false economy.'
'But it seems to me all this is needless expense. We only want to get a
few moneyed men interested in our project, and if they are sensible men,
they will look to the probability of getting a good dividend, not at
fine offices.'
'Very well, John; you get the men, and I shall be satisfied. I am sure I
am as anxious to do this cheaply as you are. If you think you can go out
and interest a dozen or twenty-four men in the City, and persuade them
to go in for our mine, I will cry "Halt!" on our part until you do it.
Will you try that?'
Kenyon pondered for a few minutes, and then said: 'I suppose that would
be rather a difficult thing to do.'
'Yes, that is the way it strikes me. I do not know to whom I could go.
Longworth is a good man, and we have gone to him. Now it seems to me,
having got his assistance, the least we can do, unless we are prepared to
produce the men ourselves forthwith, is to act as he wishes.
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