’My dear Herring, that is your opinion. Others equally capable of forming opinions think differently. The mine is on my property, it is only reasonable that I should be a director and benefit by it. As Mr. Trampleasure put it to me—the world asks, Why is not the lord of the manor on the board of directors? The absence of his name from it damages the prospects of the mine. Other men of position and property hold back because I do not sanction the venture. It is necessary that I should lend my name.’ ’You must on no account lend your name, sir,’ said Herring, earnestly. ’You are very peremptory, Mr. Herring,’ said the old man, nettled. ’The lead mine halts; nothing is being done there, no lead turned out, no machinery set up, no company got together to work it. And hard by is the auriferous quartz vein of Ophir——’ ’Excuse my interrupting you,’ said Herring, ’but may I know whether you believe in Upaver having ever been Ophir?’ ’That is a matter into which I do not enter. I put all these antiquarian theories aside. I look at the plain facts. Is gold found there, or is it not?’ ’Gold is certainly washed there. How it comes there I do not pretend to say.’ ’You mean to insinuate that it is not dug out of the mine.’ ’I doubt it, because I mistrust old Tramplara, and I think the way in which the affair has been got up is suspicious. Did you ever hear the old people call Upaver Ophir?’ ’No, but there is a similarity in the names. However, as I told you, I put all these antiquarian conceits on one side.’ ’Mr. Battishill, we must consider them as an integral part of the swindle, if swindle it be. You do not, I presume, believe in the Jews and Phoenicians having worked this mine in remote ages?’ ’I tell you I do not think of this at all; I am not qualified to enter into and examine this question. But when it comes to gravel containing gold dust, why, bless my soul! my eyes are the best judges. As for the Jews and Phoenicians, there is, at all events, this to be said for the theory of their having been here, that they dropped a shekel—a silver shekel—I saw it with my own eyes. I have an impression of it in my desk. Thus where a Jewish coin has been found, there in all probability a Jew has been to drop it.’ ’Who found the coin?’ ’The Reverend Israel Flamank bought it of Grizzly Cobbledick, who had picked it up in his garden, or somewhere near the Giant’s Table.’ ’I beg you, sir, I entreat you, as you love your home and respect the name you bear, not to have anything to do with Ophir till I have followed this shekel up to its origin. It may serve as a clue by which the mystery will be unravelled. I will go and see Grizzly himself, and ascertain from his own lips where he found it, or rather, whether he found it at all.’ ’You are a sceptic,’ said Mr. Battishill, ’steeped in the spirit of the age.’ ’Well,’ asked Cicely, when Herring came out, ’what is the result?’ She noticed that he was looking excited.