“Of course I can, and will,” answered Del Ferice, more and more astonished.  “After you, my dear Don Orsino, after you,” he repeated, pushing the young man into the brougham.  “Quiet streets—­till I stop you,” he said to the footman, as he himself got in.

CHAPTER XI.

Del Ferice was surprised beyond measure at Orsino’s request, and was not guilty of any profoundly nefarious intention when he so readily acceded to it.  His own character made him choose as a rule to refuse nothing that was asked of him, though his promises were not always fulfilled afterwards.  To express his own willingness to help those who asked, was of course not the same as asserting his power to give assistance when the time should come.  In the present case he did not even make up his mind which of two courses he would ultimately pursue.  Orsino came to him with a small sum of ready money in his hand.  Del Ferice had it in his power to make him lose that sum, and a great deal more besides, thereby causing the boy endless trouble with his family; or else the banker could, if he pleased, help him to a very considerable success.  His really superior talent for diplomacy inclined him to choose the latter plan, but he was far too cautious to make any hasty decision.

The brougham rolled on through quiet and ill-lighted streets, and Del Ferice leaned back in his corner, not listening at all to Orsino’s talk, though he occasionally uttered a polite though utterly unintelligible syllable or two which might mean anything agreeable to his companion’s views.  The situation was easy enough to understand, and he had grasped it in a moment.  What Orsino might say was of no importance whatever, but the consequences of any action on Del Ferice’s part might be serious and lasting.

Orsino stated his many reasons for wishing to engage in business, as he had stated them more than once already during the day and during the past weeks, and when he had finished he repeated his first question.

“Can you help me to try my luck?” he asked.

Del Ferice awoke from his reverie with characteristic readiness and realised that he must say something.  His voice had never been strong and he leaned out of his corner of the carriage in order to speak near Orsino’s ear.

“I am delighted with all you say,” he began, “and I scarcely need repeat that my services are altogether at your disposal.  The only question is, how are we to begin?  The sum you mention is certainly not large, but that does not matter.  You would have little difficulty in raising as many hundreds of thousands as you have thousands, if money were necessary.  But in business of this kind the only ready money needed is for stamp duty and for the wages of workmen, and the banks advance what is necessary for the latter purpose, in small sums on notes of hand guaranteed by a general mortgage.  When you have paid the stamp duties, you may go to the club and lose the balance of your capital at baccarat if you please.  The loss in that direction will not affect your credit as a contractor.  All that is very simple.  You wish to succeed, however, not at cards, but at business.  That is the difficulty.”