I am going to buy that mine to-morrow, as doubtless you know. Now, I
should like to see it in the hands of a good and competent man. If a
couple of hundred pounds a year would be any temptation to you, I think
we can afford to let you develop the mine.'
'Thank you!' said Kenyon.
'I knew you would be grateful; just think over the matter, will you? and
don't come to any rash decision. We can probably give a little more than
that; but until we see how the mine is turning out, it is not likely we
shall spend a great deal of money on it.'
'Of course,' said John, 'the proper answer to your remark would be to
knock you down; but, besides being a law-abiding citizen, I have no
desire to get into gaol to-night for doing it, because there is one
chance in a thousand, Mr. Longworth, that I may have some business to do
with that mine myself before twelve o'clock to-morrow.'
'Ah, it is my turn to be grateful now!' said Longworth. 'In a
rough-and-tumble fight I am afraid you would master me easier than you
would do in a contest of diplomacy.'
'Do you call it diplomacy? You refer, I suppose, to your action in
relation to the mine. I call it robbery.'
'Oh, do you? Well, that is the kind of conversation which leads to
breaches of the peace; and as I also am a law-abiding subject, I will
not continue the discussion any further. I bid you a very good evening,
Mr. Kenyon.'
The young man turned on his heel and went into the hotel.
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