“Is my landlord’s, I’ll bet!” Wolley exclaimed. “Yes—is Garth. Mr. Griffin’s.” Wolley laughed rudely. “Garth? Ay, you’ll have your work cut out there!” “Oh. I don’t know!” “I do. And you’ll find I’m right.” “Well, I hope——” “You may hope what you like!” Sir Charles shuddered at the man’s brusqueness. “The Squire’s a hard nut to crack, and so you’ll find, banker. If you can get him to do a thing he don’t wish to do, you’ll be the first that ever has. He hates the name of trade as he hates the devil!” The baronet sat up. “Trade?” he exclaimed. “Oh! but I am not aware, sir, that this is—— Surely a railroad is on another footing?” Alarm was written on his face. “Quite!” Ovington struck in. “Entirely different! Another thing altogether, Sir Charles. There can be only one opinion on that.” “Of course, if I thought I was entering on anything like——” “A railroad is on an entirely different footing,” the banker repeated, with an angry glance at Wolley, who, unrepentant, continued to stare before him, a sneer on his face. “On an entirely different footing. Even Mr. Griffin, prejudiced as I venture with all respect to think he is—even he would agree to that. But I have considered the difficulty, gentlemen, and I have no doubt we can surmount it. I propose to see him on Monday, accompanied by Mr. Bourdillon, his great-nephew, and between us I have no doubt that we shall be able to persuade him.” Acherley looked over his shoulder at the secretary, who sat at a small table at Ovington’s elbow. “Like the job, Arthur?” he asked. “I think Sir Charles’s example will go a long way with him,” Bourdillon answered. He was a tactful young man. The banker put the interruption aside. “I shall see Mr. Griffin on Monday, and with your consent, gentlemen, I propose to offer him the sixth seat at the Board.” “Quite right, quite right,” Sir Charles murmured, much relieved. “He’ll not take it!” Wolley persisted. “My dear sir!” “You will see I am right.” “Well, there are more ways than one. At any rate I will see him and report to the next meeting, when, with the chairman’s approbation, we shall draw up the prospectus. In that connection”—he consulted his paper—“I have already received overtures from customers of the bank for four hundred shares.” There was a murmur of applause and Grounds’s face betrayed relief. “Then Sir Charles has put himself down for three hundred.” He bowed deferentially to Woosenham. “Mr. Acherley for one hundred and fifty, Mr. Wolley has taken up one hundred and twenty-five, and Mr. Grounds—I have not heard from Mr. Grounds, and there is no hurry. No hurry at all!” But Grounds, feeling that all eyes were on him, and feeling also uncomfortable in his company, took the fence up to which he had been brought. He murmured that he would take one hundred and twenty-five.