an to do
with all the money we shall have to come and borrow, eh?"

The bank manager smiled.

"It is a very fine situation," he remarked.

The eyes of the two men fell upon Beatrice, who had drawn a little to
one side.

"May we have the pleasure, Tavernake?" Mr. Dowling said, graciously.
"You are not married, I believe?"

"No, this is my sister," Tavernake answered, slowly,--"Mr. Belton and
Mr. Dowling."

The two men acknowledged the salute with some slight surprise. Beatrice,
although her clothes were simple, had always the air of belonging to a
different world.

"Your brother, my dear Miss Tavernake," Mr. Dowling declared, "is a
perfect genius at discovering these desirable sites. This one I honestly
consider to be the find of our lifetime. We have now," he proceeded,
turning to Mr. Belton, "certain information that the cars will run to
whatever point we desire in this vicinity, and the Metropolitan Railway
has also arranged for an extension of its system. To-morrow I propose,"
Mr. Dowling continued, holding the sides of his coat and assuming a
somewhat pompous manner, "to make an offer for the whole of this site.
It will involve a very large sum of money indeed, but I am convinced
that it will be a remunerative speculation."

Tavernake remained grimly silent. This was scarcely the time or the
place which he would have selected for an explanation with his employer.
There were signs, however, that the thing was to be forced upon him.

"I am very pleased indeed to meet you here, Tavernake," Mr. Dowling went
on, "pleased both for personal reasons and because it shows, if I may be
allowed to say so, the interest which you take in the firm's business,
that you should devote your holiday to coming and--er--surveying the
scene of our exploits, so to speak. Perhaps now that you are here you
would be able to explain to Mr. Belton better than I should, just what
it is that we propose."

Tavernake hesitated for a moment. Finally, however, he proceeded to make
clear a very elaborate and carefully thought out building scheme, to
which both men listened with much attention. When he had finished,
however, he turned round to Mr. Dowling, facing him squarely.

"You will understand, sir," he concluded, "that a scheme such as I have
pointed out could only be carried through if the whole of the property
were in one person's hands. I may say that the information to which you
referred a few days ago was perfectly correct. A c