"Well that is a comfort at any rate," remarked Mr. Werner. "I do not think I should care to be like Kleinwort." Mr. Forde did not reply. He always got the worst of the game when he engaged in a verbal duel with Mr. Werner, so he remained leaning against the corner of the desk for a minute or so in silence thinking how extremely disagreeable Werner was and how hardly every one dealt with him. At length he roused himself and said, "I suppose there is no good in my staying here any longer." "You are quite welcome to stay" was the reply; "but I agree with you that there is no good purpose to be served by your doing so." "What a Job's comforter you are," sighed poor Mr. Forde. "Job came all right in the end, if you remember," Mr. Werner replied. "If you only fare ultimately half so well as he did you will not have much cause to complain." "Yes, to-morrow must come, no matter how much sorrow to-day holds," answered Mr. Forde unconsciously paraphrasing one of Kleinwort's utterances. "If you see any of my people, Werner, do try to make things a little pleasant for me." "You had better explain what you propose telling them, so that I may know the statement I am expected to back up," said Mr. Werner. "These things ought to be arranged beforehand." But Mr. Forde had already banged the door and departed, so that the last utterance failed to reach his ears. When Mr. Werner went out during the afternoon he met Mr. Kleinwort. "Have not you some shares in that Spanish mine Green promoted," he inquired. The German nodded. "Well, I heard this morning from good authority that the mine will never pay, that the whole thing is a swindle, and was a swindle from the beginning." "Ah! what a world is this," said Kleinwort with a pious and resigned expression of countenance. "I do not think it is too late for you to sell," suggested Mr. Werner. The German shrugged his shoulders. "It matters not to me," he replied. "I thought you said you had shares," remarked his companion. "So I have; but they are in pledge don't you call it. That dear Forde wanted them and he has got them. How nice it is when a man has got what he wants." "Kleinwort, I am afraid you are a great rogue," observed Mr. Werner severely. "Ditto to you half countryman of mine own," answered the other raising his hat with a gesture of mock deference. "Have you been to St. Vedast to-day? No. Neither have I. Seemed best, I thought, to leave poor Forde to digest that neat little paragraph in the 'Times' without disturbance!" "It will be a bad thing for him, I am afraid," remarked Werner. "It will be a bad thing for me, which is matter of much more interest to Bertram Kleinwort," was the answer. "That accursed Benning and thrice-accursed partner of the Christian wolf,--how I wish they were both hanging on a gibbet higher than Haman's, and that I was big man enough to pull their legs!"