To-day Mr.
Delancey and Mr. Hilary passed some hours together in the latter's
chambers. Their talk was of the company.
'So you saw Mutimer about it?' Rodman asked, turning to a detail in
which he was specially interested.
'Yes. He is anxious to have shares.'
Mr. Hilary was a man of past middle age, long-bearded, somewhat
cadaverous of hue. His head was venerable.
'You were careful not to mention me?'
'I kept your caution in mind.'
Their tone to each other was one of perfect gravity. Mr. Hilary even
went out of his way to choose becoming phrases.
'He won't have anything to do with it if he gets to know who R.
Delancey is.'
'I was prudent, believe me. I laid before him the aspects of the
undertaking which would especially interest him. I made it clear to
him that our enterprise is no less one of social than of commercial
importance; he entered into our views very heartily. The first time
I saw him, I merely invited him to glance over our prospectus;
yesterday he was more than willing to join our association--and
share our profits.'
'Did he tell you how much he'd got out of those poor devils over
there?'
'A matter of sixty pounds, I gathered. I am not a little astonished
at his success.'
'Oh, he'd talk the devil himself into subscribing to a mission if it
suited him to try.
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