"By all means tell them I agree with you," yawned Gilly; he seemed more than ordinarily lazy that morning--the reaction from the triumph of the text-book still on him, no doubt. Yet there was a lurking gleam of amusement in his eye. "Apart from the money--and I haven't got it--it would take far too much time. I'm pretty hard worked as it is, with the business opening up in this way. I'm quite clear that it wouldn't be fair to the business--and not fair to you either. I've slept on it, and I'm quite clear about it." "Oh, are you? Then by no means tell them I agree with you." Surprise the second! "You don't?" Andy ejaculated; there was a note of pleasure in his voice. "I'm a lazy hound, I know," Gilly pursued. "If there is another fellow to do the work, I let him do it. Perhaps some day, if we go on booming, we can take in another fellow. If so, I shall certainly incite him to do the work. Meanwhile I'm not such a lazy beast as to let you miss this chance on my account. My word, I should get it hot from Billy--and Doris!" He stretched himself luxuriously. "There's a perfectly plain way out of this; I must work." He looked up at his partner humorously. "Though you mayn't believe it, I can work, when I want a thing very much." "But what is there for you to want here?" asked Andy. "Well, in the first place, we believe in you--perhaps we're wrong, but we do. In the second--and there's no mistake about this--we think you're a good chap, and we want you to have your chance. I shouldn't forgive myself if I stood in your way here, Andy--and the others wouldn't forgive me either." Andy was standing by him; he laid his hand on his shoulder. "You're a good chap yourself, Gilly." "So, as far as Gilbert Foot and Co. are concerned, you may consider the matter settled. It's for you to tackle the other end of it--the Meriton end. And since you are here to-day, at all events, perhaps you won't take it ill if I linger a little longer than usual over lunch--for which meal it seems to me to be nearly time? I feel to-day a barely perceptible stirring of the brain which, properly treated, encouraged by adequate nourishment, might produce an idea. You wouldn't like to come too?" "No, no. I've really got more than enough to do here." Gilly strolled off, smiling serenely. He was ready to do himself violence in the way of work when the time came, but there was really no need to anticipate matters.