I merely wanted to get your own
opinion about it. You see, I have attended a great many gatherings of
this sort, and it struck me there was a certain cut-and-driedness about
the meeting. I can't say whether it impressed me favourably or
unfavourably, but I noticed it.'
'I still don't understand what you mean.'
'Well, as a general thing in such meetings, when a man gets up and
proposes a certain action there is some opposition, or somebody has a
suggestion to make, or something better to propose--or thinks he has--and
so there is a good deal of talk. Now, when King got up and proposed
calmly that Melville should go to America, it appeared to me rather an
extraordinary thing to do, unless he had consulted Melville beforehand.'
'Perhaps he had done so.'
'Yes, perhaps. What do you think of it all?'
Kenyon mused for a moment before he replied:
'As I said before, I thought things went off very smoothly. Whom do you
suspect--young Longworth?'
'I do not know whom I suspect. I am merely getting anxious about the
shortness of the time. I think, myself, you ought to go to America. There
is nothing to be done here. You should go, see Von Brent, and get a
renewal of the option. Don't you see that when they get over there,
allowing them a few days in New York, and a day or two to get out to the
mine, we shall have little more than a week, after the cable despatch
comes, in which to do anything, should they happen to report
unfavourably.
Pages:
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269