'Yes,' said John, crossing over to the young man's desk and taking a chair beside him. The old gentleman now turned to his own papers, and left the two young men to talk together. 'Do you mean to say you don't remember a talk we had on deck once about a mica-mine?' Young Longworth looked at him with a puzzled expression, as if he could not quite make out what he was talking about. 'I remember,' he said, 'your telling me that you had been sent over by the London Syndicate to see after certain mines there; but I don't remember anything being said in reference to them.' 'It was not in reference to them at all; it was in reference to another mine, of which I have secured the option. You will, perhaps, recollect that your cousin introduced me to you. You seemed to think at the time that the price at which we were going to offer the mine was too low.' 'By Jove, yes! now I do recollect something about it, when you mention that. Let me see, how much was it? A million, was it not?' 'No, no' said Kenyon, mopping his brow. He did not at all like the turn the conversation had taken. 'Not a million, nor anything like that amount.' 'Ah, I am sorry for that. You see, my uncle and myself rarely touch anything that is not worth while; and anything under a million would be hardly worth bothering with, don't you know.' 'I don't think so; it seems to me that something below a million would be worth spending a little time on; at least, it would be worth _my_ while.' 'That may be very true; but, you see, my uncle takes large interests only in large businesses.' 'If you remember, Mr. Longworth, your uncle was not mentioned in connection with this at all. Your cousin seemed to think you might take some interest in it yourself. You told me, when I said the price at which we wished to offer the mine was fifty thousand pounds, that the sum was altogether too small; at least, it left too little margin to divide amongst three.' 'Well, I think I was perfectly correct in that.' 'And you further said that, if we increased the capital to two hundred thousand pounds, you would take a share in it with us.' 'Did I say that?' 'Yes. It rested with my partner then. I said I would speak to him about it, and, if he were willing, I should be. Circumstances occurred which made it impossible for me to go into details with him on board the ship; but I have spoken to him to-day at his own office, and he is quite willing to offer the mine at two hundred thousand pounds, provided the figures which I have given him show that it will pay a handsome dividend on that sum.' 'Well, it seems to me that, if the mine is really worth two hundred thousand pounds, it is a pity to offer it at fifty thousand pounds. Doesn't it strike you that way?'