"I--I cannot look you in the face, Clive," murmured the Major huskily. "For Heaven's sake, don't humble me any more." "Humble you, sir? not I. There, that is all past. Never mind the shares. Why, my dear sir, I have never made any boast of it, but my poor father left me immensely rich, and my tastes are very simple. I am obliged to work for others, and, as I told you, it was his wish that the mine should stand high, and stand high it shall. There, our darling will soon be at rest. You and I will have dinner together here, and enjoy a bottle of the father's claret. To-morrow morning you shall go down home again.--Yes, what is it?" "Mr Belton, sir." "Show him in directly." "A moment. Let me go," cried the Major. "No, no, I want you to know Mr Belton, my father's old solicitor and friend." "Here I am, Clive, my boy," cried the old gentleman, entering mopping his face. "Oh, I thought you were alone." "Better than being alone," said Clive; "this is a very dear friend of mine--Major Gurdon. I want you to know each other." "Any friend of Clive Reed's, sir, is my friend," said the old lawyer rather stiffly; but there was a look of pleasure in his eyes, as he shook hands with the Major, who greeted him with this touch, for he could not trust himself to speak. "Sit down, Belton," said Clive eagerly now. "What news?" "Shall I--er--" "Yes, of course. I have no secrets from Major Gurdon." The old lawyer passed his silk handkerchief over his forehead, glanced keenly at the Major, and then went on. "Well, there is no doubt about one thing: a Mr Wrigley, a scheming, money-lending solicitor--rather shady in reputation, but a man who can command plenty of capital--has been buying up every share he could get hold of." "Then it is a conspiracy," cried Clive. "Not a doubt about it." "Then, what to do next. Surely we can have a prosecution." "Humph! What for? Sort of thing often going on in the money market, I believe. What have you got to prosecute about?" "I?" "Yes; you haven't lost. Poor old Praed now, he has something to shout about." "But scandal, libel, defamation of the property." "Let those who have lost risk a prosecution if they like. So long as I am your legal adviser, my dear boy, I shall devote myself to keeping you out of litigation." "But surely you would advise something." "Yes. Go back to your mine and make all you can, and be careful not to get into trouble over any underground trespassing." "Well, if I go to the west, here is my neighbour. You'll forgive me, sir?" "Of course, of course, my boy," said the Major hurriedly. Mr Belton looked at him searchingly as he went on. "The shares will recover their position in time, and the sellers will be pretty angry then, of course. There's no doubt about the conspiracy, my boy, but don't you meddle in the matter. We have done all that was necessary to restore confidence. You saw, I suppose, that the letters and advertisements were in the evening papers?"