ld's death;
fixed up her affairs--they were in a devil of a state, I believe. Last
autumn we met him in Scotland; he was with his sister and her
family--Mrs. Fenimore. Her husband's in India, and he seems to look
after her in a way that does him credit. In fact, I saw a new side of
the fellow. We got quite chummy, and I happened to speak about
Mackintosh & Co. Well, now, what do you think? Two days ago, at
Coventry, I got a note from him: he was coming through, and would like
to see me; would I lunch with him at a hotel? I did, and he surprised
me by beginning to talk about business. The fact was, he had some money
lying loose, wanted to place it somewhere, and had faith in cycles. Why
shouldn't he make an offer to a friend? Would Mackintosh & Co. care to
admit a new partner? Or--anyhow--could we make use of a few thousand
pounds?'

Rolfe had ceased to eat, and was listening intently. The story sounded
very strange to him; it did not fit at all with his conception of Cyrus
Redgrave.

'I suppose a few thousands would come very handy?' he remarked.

'Well, old man, to tell you the truth,--I can do it now,--for me it
means a jump out of a particularly black hole. You must understand that
we're not doing downright badly; we pay our way, but that was about
all. I, individually, shouldn't have paid my way for many months
longer. God! how I clutched at it! You don't know what it is, Rolfe, to
see your damned account at the bank slithering away, and not a cent to
pay in. I've thought of all sorts of things--just stopping short of
burglary, and I shouldn't have stopped at that long.'

'You mean that this new capital will give such a push to the
business----'

'Of course! It was just what we wanted. We couldn't advertise--couldn't
buy a new patent--couldn't move at all. Now we shall make things hum.'

'Does Redgrave become a partner, then?'

'A sleeping partner. But Redgrave is wide enough awake. Mackintosh says
he never met a keener man of business. You wouldn't have thought it,
would you? I should fancy he manages all his own property, and does it
devilish well, too. Of course, he has all sorts of ways of helping us
on. He's got ideas of his own, too, about the machines; I shouldn't
wonder if he hits on something valuable. I never half understood him
before. He doesn't shoot much, but knows enough about it to make
pleasant talk. And he has travelled a good deal. Then, of course, he
goes in for art, music--all that sort