You may remember my telling you that, in New York,
I'd consulted Renton, an old friend of mine, about raising the
capital to take over and develop Santa Santissima, as we've agreed to
call the island; and that Renton had no difficulty to raise the
money. What I didn't tell you--not thinking it wise before company--
was that from the first I'd stipulated--with Hales as well as with
Renton--that half the shares should be held in Great Britain.
Hales didn't care, as he put it, where in thunder the money came
from, so long as it was good. Renton--as being British-born, though
naturalised--made no objection and only one condition, that the
syndicate should be a small one. If I could get half the capital
raised quietly in England by one or two persons, why, so much the
better. He could raise the other half without calling on Wall Street
or starting so much as an echo. . . . Now, I don't mind telling you,
Sir Roderick, that I had you in mind all the while. That island is a
gold mine: the copra alone there represents whole fortunes running to
waste: and even if old Buck Vliet still sails the waters--which I
doubt, for the _Two Brothers_ hasn't been spoken or sighted within
these four years, and he wasn't provisioned for whaling--still, the
concession papers are made out in Hales's name and mine, and the
duplicate documents stored. . . . All I can say is, that I'm ready to
put my own little pile upon it, to the last guinea. And I thought of
you from the first; you having done me a good turn more than once, or
tried to. Yes, sir: but the best of all would be your going out and
making sure for yourself. You, that was preparing to go that
distance to find a lost man--I say, sir, it would be heavenly, if you
went and found a fortune instead. I've arranged a cable to Hales,
and the _I'll Away_ will be waiting for you at Valparaiso. But in
case he should miss--which he won't--here are papers for you:
bearings of the island, sketch-map, copy of bond of agreement with
him, copy of agreement with Renton. All these I was bringing to put
into your hand yesterday. But, my God! Sir Roderick, now that I've
heard what I've heard--that you were preparing to search the South
Pacific for me, and for no worse reason than that a poor devil was
cast away there, I'd ask you on my knees to sleep in the berth you've
booked and travel to better purpose."

It has occurred to me since--and more than once or twice--that
although the man and h