But there was an end coming to all such torments and discomforts—an end which found Heather but poorly prepared for its advent; and the beginning of this end was a visit Arthur received on the 2nd of January, from a tall, thin, grey-haired, hard-featured individual, who sent in his card as— “Mr. Allan Stewart,” “Being at Kemms Park,” he stated, after the first civilities had been gone through, “I thought you would excuse my calling, and talking over a little matter of business with you. It is about that house in Lincoln’s Inn Fields; you know, Mr. Dudley, we cannot purchase it from you. I am very sorry indeed, but such a thing is quite out of the question.” “Why?” Arthur demanded. “Well, in the first place, the position is anything but desirable; and, in the second, the price you ask is prohibitory. Besides, what do we want with purchasing properties? we need only rent offices. It would be the merest waste of money for us to do otherwise.” “Mr. Black assured me there was not the slightest doubt of the Company purchasing my lease,” answered Squire Dudley. “Yes, because Mr. Black thought the management was going to be left entirely to him,” was the reply. “Mr. Black now finds he was a little mistaken, and that, being mistaken, he led you astray.” “He was the originator of the Company, or else I have been greatly misinformed,” said Arthur, defiantly. “You have not been misinformed,” Mr. Stewart answered; “but the originator of a company does not necessarily mean the proprietor.” Squire Dudley remained silent, digesting this piece of knowledge, while Mr. Stewart proceeded— “We directors are not necessarily his puppets because he brought us together. Although he obtained our names, and qualified us to act on the board, he did not thereby obtain dominion over us, body and soul for ever. Evidently, Mr. Dudley, you are not a man of business, and you do not understand much about commercial matters—indeed, Mr. Black implied that fact to me; therefore, as I happened to be staying with Miss Baldwin, I thought I would walk over, and have a little friendly conversation with you.” “Do you mean,” asked Mr. Dudley, harking back to the original question, “that you absolutely refuse to purchase these premises in Lincoln’s Inn Fields?” “That is my meaning,” was the reply; “if you press the matter, of course it will be brought before the board, Mr. Black, probably, acting as your mouthpiece; but if you take my advice, you will not press the point, nor have it brought before the board; for I tell you fairly, the line must be drawn somewhere, and at that point I mean it to be marked broadly.” “You are not the proprietor of the Company, are you?” asked Arthur. “No; but I am the largest shareholder and the most influential man on the board,” was the reply. “And what do you think of the scheme?” inquired Arthur, eagerly.