'
'Yes, I see that. Still, it is only a question of facts on which they
have to report, and you know, as well as I do, that no truthful men can
report unfavourably on what we have certified. We have understated the
case in every instance.'
'I know that. I am perfectly well aware of that. Everything is all right
if--if--Longworth is dealing honestly with us. If he is not, then
everything is all wrong, and I should feel a great deal easier if we had
in our possession another three months' option of the mine. We are now at
the fag-end of this option, and, it seems to me, as protection to
ourselves, we ought either to write to Von Brent--By the way, have you
ever written to him?'
'I wrote one letter telling him how we were getting on, but have received
no answer; perhaps he is not in Ottawa at present.'
'Well, I think you ought to go to the mine with Longworth and Melville.
It is the conjunction of those two men that makes me suspicious. I can't
tell what I distrust. I can give nothing definite; but I have a vague
uneasiness when I think that the man who tried to mislead us regarding
the value of the mineral is going with the man who has led us into all
this expense. Longworth refused to go into the scheme in the first place,
pretended he had forgotten all about it in the second place, and then
suddenly developed an interest.'
John knitted his brows and said nothing.
'I don't want to worry you about it, but I am anxious to have your candid
opinion.
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