In the best of health, I trust?"

On emerging from the inner room, Mahony saw that the places formerly
filled by Tom and Johnny were occupied by strangers; and he was
wondering whether it would be indiscreet to ask what had become of the
brothers, when Ocock cut across his intention. "By the way, Jenkins,
has that memorandum I spoke of been drawn up?" he turned to a clerk.

With a sheet of foolscap in his hand, he invited Mahony with a beck of
the chin to re-enter his room. "Half a moment! Now, doctor, if you
happen to have a little money lying idle, I can put you on to a good
thing--a very good thing indeed. I don't know, I'm sure, whether you
keep an eye on the fluctuations of the share-market. If so, you'll no
doubt have noticed the ... let me say the extreme instability of
'Porepunkahs.' After making an excellent start, they have dropped till
they are now to be had at one-twentieth of their original value."

He did not take much interest in mining matters was Mahony's reply.
However he knew something of the claim in question, if only because
several of his acquaintances had abandoned their shares, in disgust at
the repeated calls and the lack of dividends.

"Exactly. Well now, doctor, I'm in a position to inform you that
'Porepunkahs' will very shortly be prime favourites on the market,
selling at many times their original figure--their ORIGINAL figure,
sir! No one with a few hundreds to spare could find a better
investment. Now is the time to buy."

A few hundreds! ... what does he take me for? thought Mahony; and
declined the transaction off-hand. It was very good of Mr. Ocock to
think of him; but he preferred to keep clear of that kind of thing.

"Quite so, quite so!" returned Ocock suavely, and dry-washed his hands
with the smile Mahony had never learnt to fathom. "Just as you please,
of course.--I'll only ask you, doctor, to treat the matter as strictly
confidential."

"I suppose he says the same to everyone he tells," was Mahony's comment
as he flicked up his horse; and he wondered what the extent might be of
the lawyer's personal interest in the "Porepunkah Company." Probably
the number of shareholders was not large enough to rake up the capital.

Still, the incident gave him food for thought, and only after closing
time did he remember his intention of driving home by way of the Bank.

Later in the day he came back on the incident, and pondered his abrupt
refusal of Ocock's offer. There was nothing