A thousand thoughts, that seemed to scorch like fire, went rocketing through her brain.  The thing was too much to be understood at once—­it went too deep—­it involved such possibilities.  She must try to hold herself in check—­try to be clever with this man.

“Oh,” she said, dropping her eyes to her work, “and Glen is in it too?”

Bostwick was nervous.  He sat down.

“Well, yes—­to some extent—­a little slice of mine,” he faltered.  “Naturally he has less than I’ve given to you.”

“But—­didn’t he discover the opportunity—­the chance?”

“Certainly not!” he declared vehemently.  “It’s all my doing—­everything!  Wholly my idea from the start!” The impulse to boast, to vaunt his cleverness, was not to be resisted.  “I told Van Buren the game had only begun!  He thought himself so clever!”

She clung to her point.

“But—­of course you told me Glen had found the chance, requiring sixty thousand dollars.”

“That was a different proposition—­nothing to do with this.  I’ve dropped that game entirely.  This is big enough for us all!”

She looked the picture of unsophisticated innocence, sewing at a gaudy square of cloth.

“Did this affair also require the expenditure of sixty thousand dollars?”

“No, of course not.  Didn’t I say so before?”

“How much did it need—­if I may ask?”

Bostwick colored.  He could not escape.  He dared not even hint at the sum he had employed.

“Oh, just the bare expenses of the survey—­nothing much.”

“Then,” she said, “if you don’t mind returning my thirty thousand dollars, I think I’ll relinquish my share.”

He rose hurriedly.

“But I—­but you—­it won’t be possible—­just yet,” he stammered.  “This is perfectly absurd!  I want you in—­want you to retain your interest.  There are certain development expenses—­and—­they can’t be handled without considerable money.”

“Why not use your own?  I much prefer to withdraw.”  She said it calmly, and looked him in the eye.

He avoided her glance, and paced up and down the room.

“It can’t be done!” he said.  “I’ve pledged my support—­our support—­to get the claim on its feet.”

She grew calmer and colder.

“Wasn’t the claim already on its feet.  I heard it was paying well—­that quite a lot of gold was seized when—­when you and the others took the place.”

His impatience and uneasiness increased.

“Oh, it was being worked—­in a pickyune, primitive fashion.  We’re going at it right!”

The color came and went in her face.  She felt that the man had employed her money, and could not repay it if he would.  She pushed the point.

“Of course, you’ll remember I gave you the money to assist my brother Glen.  It was not to help secure or develop this other property.  I much prefer not to invest my money this way.  I shall have to request its return.”