“I was determined that he should not marry Rose, even if I had to rob him to prevent it.  Curses on him!  He knocked me senseless while he was yet a mere boy.  And now he has given me a harder blow.  He has stolen Rose from under my spectacles, married her, pauper that he is, and gone to housekeeping.”

“What shall we do?” asked Hamlin.

“Look here,” said Jenvie, “this move is that American’s who has married your daughter.  He is more subtle than Jack.  He has engineered this business.  But I cannot fathom it.  Why should he have left his bride at the church door and gone off to America?”

“I think I can understand that,” said Hamlin.  “While Jack has made his L100,000, Sedgwick made a little more than L20,000.  He left that with his father to buy a farm in the States, and came with Jack merely as a lark.

“I think he has gone for as much of that as may be left, and that before a month he will return, and will back Jack in a suit to recover from us Jack’s money.”

“Why, what can they hope to recover by a suit?” asked Jenvie.  “If mining stocks are offered to a man and he buys them, and they do not turn out well, whose loss ought it to be?  Then we sold nothing.  It was Stetson who did the business.”

“But,” said Hamlin, “if a man is induced by false representations to buy wild-cat shares, and he seeks recourse through our English courts, will he not recover?”

“I made no special representations,” said Jenvie.

“That will not answer,” said Hamlin.  “You made enough representations; so did I. It was a direct swindle, and I did my part intending to make restitution.  This business has practically destroyed the peace of our own homes.  My wife never gave me a look of thorough contempt until to-day.”

“Neither did mine,” said Jenvie.  Then there was a long silence.

At last Jenvie said:  “Hamlin, there is but one thing to do.  We must go to Jack to-morrow, good-naturedly chide him and Rose for being married without our knowledge, each carry a present, and as soon as possible settle with Jack, and get his receipt in full, before the return of that American devil that tumbles bulls, and might trip two old John Bulls like you and me.”

“I agree to that,” Hamlin responded.  “We can tell him that bad news from the mine has decided us not to go on with the mill building; that we will help bear the loss of the first investment, and tender him back L25,000.  He will not only be glad to settle with us for that, but will feel grateful to us.”

So it was agreed that they should go at noon of the succeeding day.

They each next morning purchased a valuable present, and repaired to Jack’s house.

They were shown in, and their cards sent to Browning.

The servant returned in a moment and said:  “Mr. Browning is engaged, and declines seeing the gentlemen.”

They went out incensed, but with such a mixed feeling of anger, chagrin, self-abasement, and apprehension as they had never experienced before.