f a clique of discontented investors. Now, however, the
strain had slackened; Herbert's schemes had succeeded, and he had only
to take his profit by selling out as quietly as possible. He had
already given a broker orders to do so. He rather regretted that he
could not dispose of George's shares, but these must be kept a little
longer; to throw a large quantity upon the market would have a
depressing effect and might arouse suspicion.

Presently a man with whom he had dealings was shown in and sat down.
His appearance indicated some degree of prosperity, but he looked
disturbed and anxious.

"I met Jackson yesterday, and after what he told me of his interview
with you, I thought I'd better run up and see you at once," he
explained.

Herbert had expected the visit.

"I'm at your service," he said.

"What about the new company? I understand you haven't come to any
decision yet about the suggestions we sent you for its flotation."

"No," replied Herbert. "In fact, I've reasons for believing it
wouldn't be wise to go any farther in the matter."

The other looked at him in astonishment.

"Well," he said, "I heard that you were not so enthusiastic as you were
not long ago, which is why I came down; but I never expected this!
Anyway, after what we have done, you are bound to go on with the thing.
Our success with the first company will help the shares off."

"That's not certain." Herbert handed him a paper. "You haven't seen
Singleton's report."

The man read it hastily, his face changing. Then he looked up with
signs of strong indignation.

"You let him give you a thing like this? Paid him for it?"

"What could I do? The man's honest. He declares the country's
dangerous; he had two carriers killed. There's no prospect of our
obtaining the needful native labor."

"Send somebody else out at once!"

"With the same result. Besides, it's expensive. Singleton's fee
wasn't so big, because he shared the cost of his orchid collecting or
something of the kind with us. Then he might talk, and there would
always be the risk of somebody's challenging us with suppressing his
report. If things went wrong, that would lead to trouble."

"Would there be any use in my seeing him?"

Herbert smiled. Singleton would not turn against him; Sylvia had made
her influence felt.

"Not the slightest," he answered. "You can take that for granted."

His visitor pondered for a moment or two; and then he crumpled the