[BENNETT _and_ FORD _rapidly run their eyes down the article_. BENNETT. Steep, isn’t it? JAMES FORD. If the Tories print this it’ll about bust us. ETCHINGHAM. The whole thing’s a pack of lies. It’s scandalous that such methods should be used to influence an election. JAMES FORD. [_To_ SWALECLIFFE.] D’you want to read it? SWALECLIFFE. What does it say? BENNETT. Merely what they phoned down from London. JAMES FORD. But it puts it about as hot as I’ve ever seen a financial article. ETCHINGHAM. D’you think it’ll interfere with the issue? JAMES FORD. It’ll bust it. ETCHINGHAM. Can’t something be done to find Winter? BOYCE. All we can do is to wait. ETCHINGHAM. Hang it all, we can’t go on waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Isn’t there one of you who can do something? JAMES FORD. Keep your head, man, that’s about the best thing you can do. [EDWARD O’DONNELL _hurries in_. O’DONNELL. It’s all right. I’ve got him. ETCHINGHAM. Thank God. O’DONNELL. I told him to hurry up. He was just going to speak to some fellows in a factory. SWALECLIFFE. He’s coming? O’DONNELL. Yes, rather. He said he’d be here in a jiffy. JAMES FORD. Did he want to know what it was about? O’DONNELL. There was no time for him to ask. And he was talking to a whole crowd when I found him. SWALECLIFFE. He knows it’s important? BENNETT. Don’t be afraid about that. If he says he’ll come at once, he’ll come. BOYCE. Here he is. ETCHINGHAM. [_At the same time._] At last. [GEORGE WINTER _comes in and surveys them for a moment. He smiles sardonically._ GEORGE WINTER. Quite a party. ETCHINGHAM. We thought you were never coming. GEORGE WINTER. What’s the trouble? JAMES FORD. [_Pointing to the paper._] That’s the trouble. BENNETT. _The Financial Standard_ has got an attack on the Campo del Oro. GEORGE WINTER. [_Calmly._] Is that all? JAMES FORD. It’s a good deal. GEORGE WINTER. The Lewishams have got _The Financial Standard_ in their pockets. JAMES FORD. You read it. SWALECLIFFE. They say there’s no gold in the mine. GEORGE WINTER. What do they know about it? They’ve not been there and my expert has. JAMES FORD. That’s just it. They say you’re floating it on the report the owners gave you when you bought it, and you’re holding back Macdonald’s. GEORGE WINTER. [_Looking over the article._] It’s extraordinary what a lot the papers know. [_The telephone rings._] What is it? [_He listens for a moment._] London call. You’d better go and speak to them, Fred. [_Down the receiver._] No, don’t connect with me. Mr. Bennett will come along. [BENNETT _goes out_.] It’s one of my brokers. Now let’s go on. As abuse I don’t really think very much of it. I could have said much unpleasanter things about myself. SWALECLIFFE. You seem to take it very calmly. GEORGE WINTER. I’ve not been fighting the Lewishams for ten years without getting some pretty hard words broken on my back. JAMES FORD.