r spirits rose, and had any outside
spectator been present he would have guessed that they had already
made up their minds to an enormous success.

Just on the stroke of one Grayleigh, carrying a roll of documents in
his hand, entered the room. There was a lull in the conversation as he
nodded to one and another of his acquaintances, went quickly up the
room and took his seat at the head of the table. Here he arranged his
papers and held a short consultation with the secretary, a tall man of
about fifty years of age. There was a short pause and then Lord
Grayleigh rose to his feet.

"Gentlemen," he began, "although, as you know, I have been and am
still chairman of several companies, I can say without hesitation that
never have I presided at a meeting of the directors of any company
before which had such brilliant prospects. It is my firm conviction,
and I hope to impress you all with a similar feeling, that the Lombard
Deeps Mining Company has a great career before it."

Expressions of satisfaction rose from one or two present.

Lord Grayleigh proceeded: "This I can frankly say is largely due to
our having secured the services of Mr. Philip Ogilvie as our assayer,
but I regret to have to tell you all that, although he has returned
to England, he is not likely to be present to-day. A very serious
domestic calamity which ought to claim your deepest sympathy is the
cause of his absence, but his report in detail I shall now have the
pleasure of submitting to you."

Here Lord Grayleigh took up the document which had been signed by
Ogilvie and Rycroft at the Waharoo Hotel at Brisbane. He proceeded to
read it aloud, emphasizing the words which spoke of the value of the
veins of gold beneath the alluvial deposit.

"This report," he said in conclusion, "is vouched for by the
signatures of my friend Ogilvie and also by James Rycroft, who is
nearly as well known in Queensland as Ogilvie is in London."

As detail after detail of the brilliantly worded document which
Ogilvie and Rycroft had compounded with such skill, fell upon the ears
of Lord Grayleigh's audience, satisfaction not unmixed with avarice
lit up the eyes of many. Accustomed as most of these men were to
assayers' reports, what they now listened to unfeignedly astonished
them. There was a great silence in the room, and not the slightest
word from Lord Grayleigh's clear voice was lost.

When he had finished he laid the document on the table and was just
about,