“And I believe I should amaze you still more if I showed you the list of names I expect to get on the Direction. Allan Stewart will bring them up like a huntsman the hounds; but he cost me dear. Would you believe I had to give him five hundred pounds in hard cash—not bills, mind you—before he would even listen to me?” “Dear me! I should not have supposed any man’s name was worth so much,” observed the Squire. “Worth it! he could be worth five thousand, if one only had had the money to give him, but just now I found even the five hundred a pull. You know he stands between the nobility and the commercial men. He is good to bring both, and he promises me to get his nephew.” “You don’t mean Aymescourt?” “Yes, Aymescourt, only his name is Croft now, you know; he came into such a switching property when old Croft died. Of course I am telling you all this in strict confidence, Dudley. Not a soul knows about these things except yourself.” “Of course,” Arthur agreed. Believing implicitly in Mr. Black’s statement, he felt flattered accordingly. “By Jove,” proceeded Mr. Black, invoking his favourite god, “won’t some of the City people stare when they see our prospectus in the _Times_! Won’t some of them wish they had thought of such a scheme! Rather,” finished Mr. Black with a chuckle, “ra—a—ther.” And Mr. Black took off his hat and wiped his forehead, and the pair had another turn on the grass under the trees in silence. “I only wish,” began Mr. Black again, “I could begin advertising, for the great thing in all such matters is to make hay while the sun shines—a leaf out of your book, Dudley; but, till some of my other small fish are fried, I don’t see my way, unless I go to Runcorn, and then he gets the flesh, and leaves the bones to me. It is that advertising! it is the devil, it is cash on the nail—money down, or else no advertisement appears; and, good gracious! think of how a few quarter-column advertisements in the _Times_ run up; why, it is like printing in gold.” Still Arthur made no comment. “Offices, furniture, printing, even clerks, can be got on credit,” continued Mr. Black, after allowing Arthur full time for the observation he did not make; “and credit gives one time to turn round and get the shares in, but the expense of advertising has nipped many a promising scheme in the bud. Does not somebody say something about there being a tide in the affairs of men? I am not a very good hand at remembering any quotation except prices,” added Mr. Black, with the laugh which had excited Lally’s uncomplimentary comparison; “but I dare say you do, and I know there is a tide in my affairs now, which would float my ship, if I could only take advantage of it. However, I’ll go back to town on Monday and see what can be done.” “How much money do you want?” asked Arthur; perhaps he was thinking, too, that a tide had come in his affairs, across which he might be able to steer his course to fortune.