"Yes; but it would be the same if he were hard up. The old man's dead square." "Then you believe your brother's reports are all that are read to you?" "Implicitly." "No garbling, you think?" "I'm sure there isn't. No, old fellow, I hate my fortunate brother most bitterly, and I don't love my father; but I'd sooner take their word than that of any one I know." "Humph!" ejaculated the lawyer. "Well, then, the mine is not quite played out!" "Played out! Pish! It has never been worked properly. Only scratched and scraped. There's plenty of ore to pay by following on the old workings with modern tackle, and a little fortune in re-smelting the old refuse that has been accumulating for fifteen hundred or two thousand years." "Yes, it is very old," said Wrigley thoughtfully. "Old! Why, no one knows how old it is. The Romans worked it, and I daresay the Phoenicians had a finger in it before them." "Go on, old fellow," said Wrigley, laughing. "Can you prove that pigs of lead were got from it to ballast the ark?" "Well, you needn't believe it without you like." "But I do believe a great deal of it. There'll be quite enough for us, if you mean business." "If I mean business! Why, of course I do. Do you suppose I am going to sit still and let my brother have all the cream of life? He'll get all the old man's money. Plenty without that. I'm not blind. Precious little for me there." "Then what is going to be done?" "They are going to set to work directly. My brother has laid his reports before the board. I did not tell you that he has discovered a new untouched lode that promises to yield wonderfully." "Indeed!" said Wrigley--"a new lode?" and he looked searchingly at his companion. "Yes; an important vein of ore that promises to be of immense value." "Hah! that sounds well," said Wrigley. "For the shareholders?" "No; for us. Have you forgotten?" "No," said Jessop gloomily, "but will it work?" "Work? You, an old hand, and ask that. My dear Jessop, if we cannot work that between us it is strange." "Yes, but the money necessary. It will be enormous." "Pretty well, my dear boy," said Wrigley, with quiet confidence; "but don't you fidget about that. Millions are to be had for a safe thing, so we need not be scared about thousands. Yes; that new vein will do. Jessop, my lad, you and I must work that vein. The idea of the great lode is glorious and makes our task easy in that direction; but there is a stumbling-block elsewhere--a difficulty in the way." "I don't understand you," said Jessop testily. "Hang it, man! Don't be so mysterious. Now then, please, what do you mean?" "Let me take my own pace, my dear Jessop, as the inventor of our fortune." "Anyhow you like, but let me see how we are going." "Well, then, you shall. Now, then, we want an enemy. Clive Reed's or your father's enemy. Has your brother any?" "Yes; here he is, confound him!"