The White Virgin Part 24

"I see you are sanguine," said the Major.

"Oh, yes, fairly so, my dear sir."

"I sincerely hope that you will not be disappointed, Mr Reed; but you, as an experienced mining engineer, know what mines are. Don't burn your fingers."

"Oh, no, sir, I'll take care. Have you any money to invest? Would you like a few shares?"

"I! No, no, Mr Reed. I have my little income, and I will be content.

Too old to speculate, sir."

"There is no speculation in it, Major. The matter is a certainty, and you might double your income easily," said Clive.

"No, sir, I have enough," said the Major shortly.

"Pray forgive me," cried Clive hastily. "I thought perhaps for Miss Gurdon's sake--"

"Ah! there you touch me to the quick," cried the Major. "But no, no!

Avaunt, tempter: I will run no risks."

"I will not tempt you," said Clive, smiling. "That's right. But, my dear sir, you must not deprive yourself of all rest. This struggle to grow rich is one of the evils of the day."

"But I am not struggling to grow rich," said Clive quietly, "only to make others who have trusted me wealthy."

"Then I beg your pardon; but really I think you are over-doing it."

"Don't be afraid for me. I am better and happier with my mind fully occupied. But would you like to look round?"

"Very much indeed," said the Major.

"And go down?"

"Of course. You will take care of me, I know."

"Oh, yes; you shall come `back to gra.s.s,' as we say, safe and sound.

Not much gra.s.s, though, by the way."

He touched a gong, and upon a boy answering it, sent a message for Mr Sturgess to come to the office.

In a few minutes the foreman presented himself, and receiving the manager's orders, he led the way to the entrance to the mouth, newly fitted with a strong engine-house and wire rope, with a cage which ran down the nearly perpendicular slope into the depths of the mine, where a trolly bore them along with their lights for half a mile.

Then followed a walk, made easy now by the levelling which had gone on through the pa.s.sages that ran maze-like through the mine. Finally, when the Major was growing weary, Clive led him into the natural cavernous part, and along over the falling water, to stop at length at the bottom of a slope, newly cut, with a platform in front of the discovery made on the day when the lanthorn fell.

"You were asking me," he said, "whether the old workings would pay, and I told you yes. But here is my mainstay: this great vein of ore. I have tested fair specimens of this, and found that not only is it very rich in lead, but the lead, in turn, is rich in silver."

The Major turned from inspecting the dull bluish-looking stone against which Sturgess held up a lanthorn.

"You amaze me," he said. "This is indeed a find. I had no idea that our hills contained anything so good. Yes; I know enough of metallurgy to see that what you say is correct. I congratulate you, Mr Reed. And to think that this mine should have been lying barren all these years for want of a little enterprise and money!"

"There, you have seen enough for to-day, I think," said Clive, smiling; and they returned to the daylight, Sturgess leaving them at the mouth of the shaft.

"Your foreman?" said the Major, as they walked to the office.

"Yes; a very useful man. Not polished or refined."

"Well, no; I--But there; I'm prejudiced."

"Think so?" said Clive, with a grave smile. "He does not impress you favourably?"

"To be frank, no, he does not. I had a great deal to do with men in the army, and as a rule I was pretty good at the study of physiognomy."

"Indeed!" said Clive, smiling.

"Yes, sir. I should say that man was sensual, of a violent temper, and not to be trusted."

"It may be you are about right," said Clive, "but the man is a good worker, has special knowledge, and is very useful. He wants driving with the curb, and with a strong hand at the rein. Now, then, a gla.s.s of sherry and a biscuit. But you would like to wash your hands."

"Yes, yes," said the Major, as he discussed his biscuit and sherry, "it is quite absurd for me, an old waif cast aside by the stream of busy life, to try and teach a keen business man like you. Of course, you know how to manage these people, and yes, yes, there was a time when mine was a smart regiment, Mr Reed, and--Ah! that's past. I am out of the world now. But that really is a very fine gla.s.s of sherry, Mr Reed. Old East India brown. One does not often taste such wine now-a-days."

"I am glad you like it," said Clive, filling a wine-gla.s.s and pouring it into a tumbler, and then br.i.m.m.i.n.g it with cold water from a carafe. "It is some of my late father's wine. I am glad to see it appreciated."

"It is remarkably fine, my dear sir," said the Major, making a grimace; "but you'll pardon me: really, my dear Mr Reed, it is sacrilege to pour water into wine like this."

"You think so?" said Clive, smiling. "My walk underground has made me thirsty. I am no connoisseur of wine."

The Major sat sipping from his gla.s.s, looking thoughtful and frowning, while Clive began to wish that he would go, for the afternoon was gliding by, and he felt that he had a dozen things to do.

But the visitor did not budge, and readily accepted a second gla.s.s of sherry.

"Very shocking, my dear sir, and at such a time, but I have not tasted wine like that for years."

The Major sipped and sipped again, and in despair Clive forced himself to think of the hospitality he had received from his new friend, and giving up all thought of work for the day, unlocked a cupboard and took out a broad flattish cigar-box.

"Try one, sir," he said, as he opened the box, and displayed a row of spindle-shaped rolls carefully wrapped in foil.

"Well, really," said the Major, with his eyes glistening as he glanced at the brand and the box, "I--I cannot refuse, Mr Reed. Dear me, I cannot offer you hospitality like this--the finest of wine, the choicest brand of cigars. Hah!" he sighed, after lighting up, and exhaling a few whiffs of thick smoke, "exquisite! Mr Reed, one has always been taught to be suspicious of strangers. I believe I have been of you--you of me.

But somehow you impressed me very favourably as a plain straightforward English gentleman; and I hope--there, I find a difficulty in expressing myself."

"You hope, Major Gurdon, that I was as favourably impressed. I proved it, sir, when I offered to procure for you some shares in this mine."

"Ah! I was coming to that, for I have repented, Mr Reed."

"Then you would like to be a holder, sir?"

"One moment, Mr Reed," said the Major warmly. "You have been my guest; you have seen my child. Mr Reed, my one thought in life is to be ready to feel at death that I have left her modestly independent of the world, single, married, according to her wishes. I ask you, then, as an English gentleman--a man of honour, shall I be safe in taking up some shares pretty largely in this venture?"

"My dear sir," said Clive quietly, "no man can be perfectly certain about a mine. It may grow richer, it may fail, but this was my father's pet scheme; he was a man of great insight and experience, and I believe in the mine to such an extent, that I am ready to trust it and recommend it to my friends."

"Then you think it will pay large dividends?"