"Christopher!" Joe ejaculated in amazed admiration. Then a scruple, a twinge of remorse, seized him for a moment. "That's pretty steep, old chap--and nothing's an absolute cert!" Temperament triumphed. "Though if there's one on God's earth we've got it!" "In for a penny, in for a pound! Nothing venture, nothing have!" cried Arthur, feeling wonderfully gleeful. "But, I say, wouldn't you like to read it first?" Conscience's expiring spark! "I'd sooner trust your opinion than my own. I may read it later on, but I'll put down my money first." "Well, I call you a sport!" Joe was moved and put out his hand. "Well, here's luck to us!" Arthur had plunged into deep water, but it did not feel cold. He suffered no reaction of fear or remorse. He was buoyant of spirit. Life was alive again. "Of course I shall have to sell out. I haven't the cash by me," he said, smiling at the idea. The cash by him indeed! The cash that ought to keep him, if need be, for six or seven years, pretty near a quarter of all he had in the world, representing the like important fraction of his already inadequate income. Why, now the income would be hopelessly inadequate! His mind was moving quickly. What's the use of trying to live on an inadequate income? While Joe was yet in the room, Arthur formed another resolution--to realise and spend, besides Joe's thousand (as his thoughts called it), another five hundred pounds of his money. "By the time that's gone," said the rapidly moving mind, "either I shall have made something or I shall have to chuck this--and thank heaven for it!" But all this while, notwithstanding his seething thoughts, he seemed very calm, gently inhaling his cigarette smoke. Joe thought him the finest variety of "sport"--the deadly cool plunger. But he also thought that his friend must be at least a little better off than he had hitherto supposed--not that he himself, having the same means as Arthur, would not have risked as much and more without a qualm. But that was his temper and way of living; he had never credited Arthur with any such characteristics. However his admiration remained substantially unchanged; many fellows with tons of money had no spunk. "May I tell them in Regent's Park?" he asked. "It'll make 'em all sit up." "Tell them I'm in with you, but not for how much." "I shall let 'em know you've done it handsome." "If you like!" laughed Arthur. "How are they? I haven't seen them just lately." "They're all right. You have been a bit of an absentee, haven't you?" "Yes, I must go one day soon. I say, Joe, who are your stockbrokers?"