'Well, two fools are building the house that we will call the Canadian Mica-mine, and I am the wise man, don't you see, Susy?' said the young man, with a sweet smile. 'I'm afraid I don't quite understand, sir.' 'I don't suppose, Susy,' replied the young man, with a laugh, 'that there are many who do; but I think in a month's time I shall own this mica-mine, and then, my dear, if you still want to own a share or two, I shall be very pleased to give you a few without your spending any money at all.' 'Oh, would you, sir?' cried Susy in glad surprise; 'and who owns the mine now?' 'Oh, two fellows; you wouldn't know their names if I told them to you.' 'And are they going to sell it to you, sir?' William laughed heartily, and said: 'Oh no! they themselves will be sold.' 'But how can that be if they don't own the mine? You see, I'm only a very stupid girl, and don't understand business. That's why I asked you about my money.' 'I don't suppose you know what an option is, do you, Susy?' 'No, sir, I don't; I never heard of it before.' 'Well, these two young men have what is called an option on the mine, which is to say that they are to pay a certain sum of money at a certain time and the mine is theirs; but if they don't pay the certain sum at the certain time, the mine isn't theirs.' 'And won't they pay the money, sir?' 'No, Susy, they will not, because, don't you know, they haven't got it. Then these two fools will be sold, for they think they are going to get the money, and they are not.' 'And you have the money to buy the mine when the option runs out, sir.' 'By Jove!' said William in surprise, 'you have a prodigious head for business, Susy; I never saw anyone pick it up so fast. You will have to take lessons from me, and go on the market and speculate yourself.' 'Oh, I should like to do that, sir--I should indeed.' 'Well,' said William kindly, 'whenever you have time, come to me, and I will give you lessons.' The young man approached her, holding out his hand, but the girl slipped away from him and opened the door. 'I think,' he said in a whisper, 'that you might give me a kiss after all this valuable information.' 'Oh, Mr. William!' cried Susy, horrified. He stepped forward and tried to catch her, but the girl was too nimble for him, and sprang out into the passage. 'Surely,' protested William, 'this is getting information under false pretences; I expected my fee, you know.' 'And you shall have it,' said the girl, laughing softly, 'when I get ten per cent. on my money.' 'Egad!' said William to himself as he entered his room again, 'I will see that you get it. She's as clever an outside broker.' When young Longworth had left for his office, Susy swept and dusted out his room again, and then went downstairs. 'Where's the mistress?' she asked a fellow-servant.