'Not in the least. I will submit the matter to him. You can leave me this piece of mineral, I suppose?' 'Certainly,' said Wentworth, writing on a sheet of paper the questions: 'First, What quantity of this mineral is used in your works in a year? second, What price per ton do you pay for it? third, Will you give me, if possible, an estimate of how much of this is used in England?' 'There,' he said, 'if you will give him this slip of paper, and show him the specimen of mineral, I shall be very much obliged.' 'By the way,' said Melville, 'is this mine in operation?' 'Yes, it is.' 'Is there anyone else beside yourself interested in it in this country?' 'Yes,' said Wentworth, with some hesitation; 'John Kenyon, a mining expert, is interested in it, and Mr. Longworth--young Mr. Longworth of the City.' 'Any relation to John Longworth?' 'His nephew.' 'Ah, well, anything that Longworth has an interest in is reasonably sure of being successful.' 'I am perhaps going too far in saying he has an interest in the mine, but in coming from America he seemed desirous of going in with us. My partner. John Kenyon, of whom I spoke just now, is with him at the present moment, I believe.' 'Very well. I will submit this specimen to Mr. Brand as you desire, and will let you know to-morrow what he says.' With that Wentworth took his leave, and in going out through the hall he met the manager of the china works, although he didn't know at the time who he was. He was a very shrewd-faced individual, who walked with a brisk business step which showed he believed that time was money. 'Well, Melville,' he said when he entered, 'I am a little late to-day, am I not?' 'You are a little behind the usual time, but not much.' 'By the way----' began the manager, and then his eye wandered to the specimen on the desk before Melville. 'Hello!' he cried, 'where did you get this?' 'That was left here a moment ago by a gentleman whom I wanted to wait until you came, but he seemed to be in a hurry. He is going to call again to-morrow.' 'What is his name?' 'Wentworth. Here's his card.' 'Ah, of a firm of accountants, eh? How did he come to have this?' 'He wanted to get some information about it, and I told him I would show it to you. Here is the note he left.' The manager turned the crystal over and over in his hand, put on his eyeglasses and peered into it, then picked up the piece of paper and looked at what Kenyon had written. 'Did he say where he had got this?' 'Yes; he says there is a mine of it in America.' 'In America, eh? Did he say how much of this stuff there was? 'No; he didn't tell me that. The mine is working, however.' 'It is very curious! I never heard of it.' 'I gathered from him,' said Mr. Melville, 'that he wishes to do something with the mine over here. He did not say much, but he told me his partner--I forget his name--was talking at the present moment with young Longworth about it.' 'Longworth--who's he?'