'Then just have duplicates made of each of them. Good-morning, Mr.
Wentworth.'
Wentworth mused for a few moments over the unexpected turn affairs had
taken. He was very glad to get the assistance of Longworth; the name
itself was a tower of strength in the City. Then, Kenyon's letter from
the North was encouraging. Thinking of the letter brought the writer of
it to his mind, so he took a telegraph-form from his desk, and wrote a
message to the address given on the letter.
'Everything right. Longworth has joined us, and signed papers to assist
in forming company.'
'There,' he said, as he sent the boy out with the message, 'that will
cheer up old John when he gets it.'
CHAPTER XXII.
When John Kenyon returned from the North and entered the office of his
friend Wentworth, he found that gentleman and young Longworth talking in
the outer room.
'There's a letter for you on my desk,' said Wentworth, after shaking
hands with him. 'I'll be there in a minute.'
Kenyon entered the room and found the letter. Then he did a very
unbusinesslike thing. He pressed the writing to his lips and placed the
letter in his pocket-book. This act deserves mention because it is an
unusual thing in the City. As a general rule, City men do not press
business communications to their lips, and the letter John had received
was entirely a business communication, relating only to the mine, and to
William Longworth's proposed connection with it. He wondered whether he
should write an answer to it or not.
He sat down at Wentworth's desk, and came upon an obstacle at the very
beginning. He did not know how to address the young woman. Whether to say
'My dear Miss Longworth,' or 'My dear madam,' or whether to use the
adjective 'dear' at all, was a puzzle to him; and over this he was
meditating when Wentworth came bustling in.
'Well,' said the latter, as John tore into small pieces a sheet of
notepaper and threw the bits into the waste-basket, 'how have you got on?
Your letters were very short indeed, but rather to the point. You seem to
have succeeded.'
'Yes, I have succeeded very well. I have got all the figures and prices
and everything else that it is necessary to have. I succeeded with
everybody except Brand, who wrote that letter to you. I cannot make him
out at all. He would give me no information, and he managed to prevent
everyone else in his works from giving me any. He pooh-poohed the
scheme--in fact, wouldn't listen to it. He said it was not usual for men
to give away information regarding their business, and in that, of
course, he was perfectly justified; but when I tried to argue with him as
to whether this mineral was used in his manufactory or not, he would not
listen. I asked him what he used in place of it, but he would not tell.
All in all, he is a most extraordinary man, and I confess I do not
understand him.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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