“Yes。Iwasonmybeamendswithnothingtodo；Iwantedtomakesomemoney。YouseeYarleyshasbeeninthefamilyforoverfivehundredyears，anditseemedhardtohavetosellit。Also——also——“andhepaused。

“EvermeetBarbaraChampers？“askedMr。Jacksoninconsequently。“Ididonce。Wonderfullynicegirl，andverygood-lookingtoo。Butofcourseyouknowher，andsheisheruncle’sward，andtheirplaceisn’tfaroffYarleys，yousay。Mustbeaconnectionofyoursalso。“

MajorVernonstartedalittleatthenameandhisfaceseemedtoredden。

“Yes，“hesaid，“Ihavemetherandsheisaconnection。“

“Willbeabigheiressoneday，Ithink，“wentonMr。Jackson，“unlessoldHaswellmakesoffwithhermoney。IthinkAylwardknowsthat；atanyratehewashangingaboutwhenIsawher。“

Vernonstartedagain，thistimeveryperceptibly。

“Verynatural——yourgoingintothebusiness，Imean，underallthecircumstances，“wentonMr。Jackson。“Butnow，ifyouwilltakemyadvice，you’llgooutofitassoonasyoucan。“

“Why？“

“Because，AlanVernon，Iamsureyoudon’twanttoseeyournamedraggedinthedirt，anymorethanIdo。“Hefumbledinadrawerandproducedatypewrittendocument。“Takethat，“hesaid，“andstudyitatyourleisure。It’sasketchofthefinancialcareerofMessrs。

AylwardandChampers-Haswell，alsoofthecompanieswhichtheyhavepromotedandbeenconnectedwith，andwhathashappenedtothemandtothosewhoinvestedinthem。AmangotitoutformeyesterdayandI’mgoingtouseit。AsregardsthisSaharabusiness，youthinkitallright，andsoitmaybefromanengineeringpointofview，butyouwillneverlivetosailuponthatseawhichtheBritishpublicisgoingtobeaskedtofindsomanymillionstomake。Lookhere。Wehaveonlythreeminutesmore，soIwillcometothepointatonce。It’sTurkishterritory，isn’tit，andputtingasideeverythingelse，thesecurityforthewholethingisaFirmanfromtheSultan？“

“Yes，SirRobertAylwardandHaswellprocureditinConstantinople。I

haveseenthedocument。“

“Indeed，andareyouwellacquaintedwiththeSultan’ssignature？I

knowwhentheyweretherelastautumnthatpotentatewasveryill——“

“Youmean——“saidMajorVernon，lookingup。

“Imean，Alan，thatIlikenotthesecurity。Iwon’tsayanymore，asthereisalawoflibelinthisland。But/TheJudge/hascertainsourcesofinformation。Itmaybethatnoprotestwillbemadeatonce，forbaksheeshcanstopitforawhile，butsoonerorlatertheprotestorrepudiationwillcome，andperhapssomeinternationalbother；alsomuchscandal。Astotheschemeitself，itisshamelesslyover-capitalizedforthebenefitofthepromoters——ofwhom，remember，Alan，youwillappearasone。Nowtime’sup。Perhapsyouwilltakemyadvice，andperhapsyouwon’t，butthereitisforwhatit’sworthasthatofamanoftheworldandanoldfriendofyourfamily。Asforyourpuffarticleandyourprospectus，Iwouldn’tputthemin/TheJudge/ifyoupaidmeathousandpounds，whichIdaresayyourfriend，Aylward，wouldbequitereadytodo。Good-bye。Comeandseemeagainsometime，andtellmewhathashappened——and，Isay“——thislastwasshoutedthroughtheclosingdoor，——“givemykindregardstoMissBarbara，forwherevershehappenstolive，sheisanhonestwoman。“

AlanVernonwalkedthoughtfullydownthelead-coveredstairs，hustledbyeagergentlemenhurryinguptoseethegreateditor，whosebellwasalreadyringingfuriously，andwasdulyusheredbytheobsequiousassistant-chauffeurbackintotheluxuriousmotor。Therewasanelectriclampinthismotor，andbythelightofit，hismindbeingperplexed，hebegantoreadthetypewrittendocumentgiventohimbyMr。Jackson，whichhestillheldinhishand。

AsitchancedtheywereblockedforaquarterofanhourneartheMansionHouse，sothathefoundtime，ifnottomasterit，atleasttogatherenoughofitscontentstomakehimopenhisbrowneyesverywidebeforethemotorpulledupatthegranitedoorwayofhisoffice。

Alandescendedfromthemachine，whichdepartedsilently，andstoodforamomentwonderingwhatheshoulddo。Hisimpulsewastojumpintoabusandgostraighttohisroomsorhisclub，towhichSirRobertdidnotbelong，butbeingnocoward，hedismisseditfromhismind。

Hisfatehunginthebalance，ofthathewaswellaware。EitherhemustdisregardMr。Jackson’swarning，confirmedasitwasbymanysecretfearsandinstinctsofhisown，andsaynothingexceptthathehadfailedinhismission，orhemusttakethebullbythehornsandbreakwiththefirm。Todothelattermeantnotonlyagooddealofmoralcourage，butpracticalruin，whereasifhechosetheformercourse，probablywithinafortnighthewouldfindhimselfarichman。

WhateverJacksonandafewothersmightsayinitsdepreciation，hewascertainthattheSaharaflotationwouldgothrough，foritwasunderwritten，ofcourseuponterms，byresponsiblepeople，moreovertheunissuedpreferredshareshadalreadybeendealtinataheavypremium。NowtosaynothingoftheallotmenttowhichhewasentitleduponhisholdingintheparentSyndicate，theproportionofcashduetohimasapartner，wouldamounttoquiteahundredthousandpounds。

Inotherwords，he，whohadsomanyreasonsfordesiringmoney，wouldbewealthy。Afterworkingsohardandundergoingsomuchthathefelttobehumiliatingandevendegrading，whyshouldhenottakehisrewardandclearoutafterwards？

Thisherememberedhecoulddo，sinceprobablybysomeoversightofAylward’s，wholeftsuchmatterstohislawyers，hisdeedofpartnershipdidnotbindhimtoafixedterm。Itcouldbebrokenatanymoment。Tothisargumenttherewasonlyonepossibleanswer，thatofhisconscience。Ifoncehewereconvincedthatthingswerenotright，itwouldbedishonesttoparticipateintheirprofits。Andhewasconvinced。Mr。Jackson’sargumentsandhisdamningdocumenthadthrownafloodoflightuponmanymatterswhichhehadsuspectedbutneverquiteunderstood。Hewasthepartnerof，well，adventurers，andthemoneywhichhereceivedwouldinfactbefilchedfromthepocketsofunsuspectingpersons。Hewouldvouchforthatofwhichhewasdoubtfulandreceivethepriceofsharppractice。Inotherwordshe，AlanVernon，whohadneverutteredawilfuluntruthortakenahalfpennythatwasnothisown，wouldbeforethetribunalofhisownmind，standconvictedasaliarandathief。Thethingwasnottobeborne。Atwhatevercostitmustbeended。Ifhewerefatedtobeabeggar，atleasthewouldbeanhonestbeggar。

WithafirmstepandahighheadhewalkedstraightintoSirRobert’sroom，withoutevengoingthroughtheformalityofknocking，tofindMr。Champers-Haswellseatedattheebonydeskbyhispartner’ssideexaminingsomedocumentthroughareading-glass，whichonhisappearance，wasfoldedoverandpresentlythrustawayintoadrawer。

Itseemed，Alannoticed，tobeofanunusualshapeandwritteninsomestrangecharacter。

Mr。Haswell，astout，jovial-looking，littlemanwithafloridcomplexionandwhitehair，roseatoncetogreethim。

“Howdoyoudo，Alan，“hesaidinacheerfulvoice，forasacousinbymarriagehecalledhimbyhisChristianname。“IamjustthisminutebackfromParis，andyouwillbegladtolearnthattheyaregoingtosupportusverywellthere；infactImaysaythattheGovernmenthastakenupthescheme，ofcourseundertherose。YouknowtheFrenchhavepossessionsallalongthatcoastandtheywon’tbesorrytofindanopportunityofstretchingouttheirhandalittlefurther。Ourdifficultiesastocapitalareatanend，forafullthirdofitisguaranteedinParis，andIexpectthatsmallinvestorsandspeculatorsfortherisewillgobblealotmore。Weshallplant￡10，000，000worthofSaharascripinsunnyFrance，myboy，andfoggyEnglandhasunderwrittentherest。Itwillbeacaseof’lettersofAllotmentandregret，’/and/regret，Alan，financiallythemostsuccessfulissueofthelastdozenyears。Whatdoyousaytothat？“andinhiselationthelittlemanpuffedouthischestandpursinguphislips，blewthroughthem，makingasoundlikethatofwindamongwires。

“Idon’tknow，Mr。Haswell。IfweareallaliveIwouldprefertoanswerthequestiontwelvemonthshence，orlater，whenweseewhetherthecompanyisgoingtobeapracticalsuccessaswell，ornot。“

AgainMr。Haswellmadethesoundofwindamongwires，onlythistimetherewasashrillernoteinit；itsmellownesswasgone，itwasasthoughtheairhadsuddenlybeenfilledwithfrost。

“Apracticalsuccess！“herepeatedafterhim。“Thatisscarcelyouraffair，isit？Promotersshouldnotbotherthemselveswithlongviews，Alan。Thesemaybelefttotheinvestingpublic，thespeculativeparsonandthemaidenladywholikesaflutter——thosepropsofmodernenterprise。Butwhatdoyoumean？Youoriginatedthisideaandalwayssaidthattheprofitsshouldbegreat。“

“Yes，Mr。Haswell，onamoderatecapitalizationandprovidedthatwearesureoftheco-operationofthePorte。“

Mr。HaswelllookedathimverysearchinglyandSirRobert，whohadbeenlistening，saidinhiscoldvoice:

“Ithinkthatwethrashedoutthesepointslongago，andtotellyouthetruthIamrathertiredofthem，especiallyasitistoolatetochangeanything。HowdidyougetonwithJackson，Vernon？“

“Ididnotgetonatall，SirRobert。Hewillnottouchthethingonanyterms，andindeedmeanstoopposeittoothandnail。“

“Thenhewillfindhimselfinaminoritywhenthearticlescomeoutto-morrow。Ofcourseitisabore，butwearestrongenoughtosnapourfingersathim。Youseetheydon’tread/TheJudge/inFrance，andnoonehaseverheardofitinConstantinople。Thereforewehavenothingtofear——solongaswesticktogether，“headdedmeaningly。

Alanfeltthatthecrisishadcome。Hemustspeaknoworforeverholdhispeace；indeedAylwardwasalreadylookingroundforhishat。

“SirRobertandMr。Haswell，“hebrokeinrathernervously，“Ihavesomethingtosaytoyou，somethingunpleasant，“andhepaused。

“Thenpleasesayitatonce，Vernon。Iwanttodressfordinner，Iamgoingtothetheatreto-nightandmustdineearly，“repliedAylwardinavoiceoftheutmostunconcern。

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