“I’ll explain,” said Nevis.  “The fact is, Lansing let us in rather badly.  We spent a good deal of money over this concession, and we’re anxious to get it back.  Since we can’t float the thing on the market at present, we have formed a small private syndicate to develop the property, though we may sell out in a year or two if you can make the undertaking commercially successful.  I think you could count on the purchasers’ continuing operations.”

“Have you considered what Lansing’s attitude may be?”

“It won’t matter.  He has gone out of the business, convinced that the thing’s no good; he cleared off most of his rubber shares, for a similar reason.  This raises another point—­the original company’s possessions lie in the same region, though ruled by another state, and things are going badly there.  If you could get across and see what could be done, we would pay an extra fee.”

Singleton lighted a cigar and leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful expression, and for a minute or two they left him alone.  They were keen business men, but they knew that their usual methods would not serve them with this shabbily-dressed, self-possessed botanist.

“Well,” he said at length, “your suggestion rather appeals to me, but there’s the difficulty that another matter claims my attention.  Though it isn’t strictly in my line, I’ve been asked to go out to Canada and assist in the production of a variety of wheat that will ripen quickly; in fact, I was looking up some information bearing on the matter when you came in.  It’s a remarkably interesting subject.”

They were clever enough to see that this was not an attempt to enhance the value of his services; the man was obviously a botanical enthusiast, and Nevis showed signs of attention.  He had once or twice thought that something might be made out of Canadian land companies.

“One could imagine that,” he said.  “I understand that it’s a matter of high importance.”

“The development of the whole northern portion of the prairie country depends on the success of the experiments that are being made,” Singleton went on.  “Their summers are hot but short; if they can get a grain that ripens early, they can cultivate vast stretches of land that are now, from economic reasons, uninhabitable, and it would make farming a more prosperous business in other tracts.  Crops growing in the favored parts are occasionally frozen.  It’s a coincidence that a day or two ago I got a letter inquiring about that kind of wheat from a friend in Canada who is, as it happens, farming with a cousin of Lansing’s.”  Then he laughed.  “All this, however, has nothing to do with the object of your visit.  Give me a few more minutes to think it over.”

There was silence except for the rattle of wheels outside while he smoked half a cigar; then he turned to his companions.

“I’ll go out and undertake your work.  I believe you’re acting wisely, and that Lansing will be sorry after a while that he threw away his interest in the scheme.”