Aleck responded with decision and composure-- “Out of the _capital_? Nothing of the kind. Not if it was a million!” Sally was deeply disappointed; the glow went out of his face. “Oh, Aleck!” he said, reproachfully. “We've always worked so hard and been so scrimped: and now that we are rich, it does seem--” He did not finish, for he saw her eye soften; his supplication had touched her. She said, with gentle persuasiveness: “We must not spend the capital, dear, it would not be wise. Out of the income from it--” “That will answer, that will answer, Aleck! How dear and good you are! There will be a noble income and if we can spend that--” “Not _all _of it, dear, not all of it, but you can spend a part of it. That is, a reasonable part. But the whole of the capital--every penny of it--must be put right to work, and kept at it. You see the reasonableness of that, don't you?” “Why, ye-s. Yes, of course. But we'll have to wait so long. Six months before the first interest falls due.” “Yes--maybe longer.” “Longer, Aleck? Why? Don't they pay half-yearly?” “_That _kind of an investment--yes; but I sha'n't invest in that way.” “What way, then?” “For big returns.” “Big. That's good. Go on, Aleck. What is it?” “Coal. The new mines. Cannel. I mean to put in ten thousand. Ground floor. When we organize, we'll get three shares for one.” “By George, but it sounds good, Aleck! Then the shares will be worth--how much? And when?” “About a year. They'll pay ten per cent. half yearly, and be worth thirty thousand. I know all about it; the advertisement is in the Cincinnati paper here.” “Land, thirty thousand for ten--in a year! Let's jam in the whole capital and pull out ninety! I'll write and subscribe right now--tomorrow it maybe too late.” He was flying to the writing-desk, but Aleck stopped him and put him back in his chair. She said: “Don't lose your head so. _We_ mustn't subscribe till we've got the money; don't you know that?” Sally's excitement went down a degree or two, but he was not wholly appeased. “Why, Aleck, we'll _have _it, you know--and so soon, too. He's probably out of his troubles before this; it's a hundred to nothing he's selecting his brimstone-shovel this very minute. Now, I think--” Aleck shuddered, and said: “How _can _you, Sally! Don't talk in that way, it is perfectly scandalous.” “Oh, well, make it a halo, if you like, _I_ don't care for his outfit, I was only just talking. Can't you let a person talk?” “But why should you _want _to talk in that dreadful way? How would you like to have people talk so about _you_, and you not cold yet?” “Not likely to be, for _one _while, I reckon, if my last act was giving away money for the sake of doing somebody a harm with it. But never mind about Tilbury, Aleck, let's talk about something worldly. It does seem to me that that mine is the place for the whole thirty. What's the objection?” “All the eggs in one basket--that's the objection.”