"Quite a lot," said Hewson. "In my er—small way, I dabble in them." "Ah! then perhaps you can tell me when I can expect the money." Mr. Crossley sat down at his desk, and opened a drawer. "It was a month ago that I paid five thousand pounds for shares in the Rio Lopez Mine." "In the what?" Hewson almost shouted. "The Rio Lopez Mine," repeated the other. "You’ve heard of it, of course. The shares were standing, so my friend told me, at two pounds, so I got two thousand five hundred shares. Now, yesterday I happened to buy the _Times_, and I looked up the Stock Exchange quotations. You can judge of my delight, Mr. Hewson, when I actually saw that the shares were standing at four pounds three shillings." "Rio Lopez four pounds!" said Hewson, dazedly. "May I see the paper?" He took it and glanced at the Supplementary List. "MINES—MISCELLANEOUS. "Rio Lopez Deep—4/3." The old man was still talking gaily on, but Hewson hardly heard what he said. From outside the lazy hum of a summer afternoon came softly through the open window, and after a while he laid down the paper and commenced to refill his pipe. Such colossal innocence almost staggered him. That there could be anybody in the world who did not know that the figures meant four shillings and threepence, left him bereft of speech. And then his feeling of amazement gave way to one of bitter anger against the scoundrel who had unloaded a block of shares in a wild-cat mine, at the top of an extremely shady boom, on such a man as Mr. Crossley. "Well, when do you think I may expect the money?" The question roused him from his reverie. "It’s hard to say, Mr. Crossley," remarked Hewson, deliberately. "Different firms have different arrangements, you know." "Of course—of course. I’m such a baby in these things. But I do want to get my penny Mauritius back before it’s sold." Hewson bent forward suddenly, ostensibly to examine his pipe. For the first time for many years he found a difficulty in speaking; there had been no room for sentiment in his career. Then he straightened up. "I quite understand, Mr. Crossley," he said, slowly. "And perhaps the best thing to do would be to put the matter in my hands. It has occurred to me since lunch that I’ve really got no clothes at all here. And so I thought I’d run up to Town and get a few and then return. While I’m up there I could look into things for you." "But I really couldn’t worry you, Mr. Hewson," protested the other. "No worry at all. It’s my work. I shall charge you commission." Hewson was lighting his pipe. "You have the certificate, I suppose." "I’ve this paper," answered Mr. Crossley. "Is that what you mean?" "That’s it. Will you trust it to me? I can give you any reference you like, if you care to come with me as far as Barnstaple. They know me at the bank. I shall have to join the main line there."