When Henry found him Amboynable, and saw his piteous look, he felt a little softened toward him, and he said, very impressively, “Wait one moment, sir, I’ve got an idea.  I’m not the sort that likes to be beat.  Are you?” The men looked steadily at each other.

Cheetham lowered his voice.  “I’ve had hell inside me ever since.  I thought I was a man, but they made a mouse of me.  If you know any way to beat them, I’ll go in with you.”

“Well, sir, there is a key to every lock.”

“That is well said, and I believe it; but one can’t always find the key.”

“I almost think I have, sir.”

“See nobody is listening.  Where is Bayne?  He is due.”

“Oh, he is not very well, sir; and I was to ask you for an hour’s absence.”

“Let him have the whole afternoon.  I’ll not have a soul in this but us two.  Now come close, and tell me.”

They sat opposite each other, and put their heads together over the table, and the following dialogue passed almost in a whisper.  To see them, you would have thought they were conspiring against the law, instead of combining to hide a lawful act from the violaters of the law.

“I can forge the blades a dozen miles from Hillsborough.”

“Not you; you will be told of.  That won’t do.”

“I shall not be told of; for nobody will know but you.  I shall only forge at night; and the building is out of the world, and wedged in, out of sight, between two bleak hills.  Sir, it is a deserted church.”

“What, forge blades in a church?”

“A deserted church; why not?”

“Little, you are A 1.  Go on.”

“I can get the blades ground by a friend at Birmingham; and my mother and I can put them together at home.  The complete articles will come to you in parcels of a certain colored paper, invoiced in cipher outside, so that they need not be opened; you can trust the invoice, and dispatch them to your London agent.”

“All right.”

“The steel you must supply me at the current price, and charge it against me.”

“Certainly.  But your price per gross?  For this work can’t be done by time.”

“Of course not.”  And Henry named a price per gross at which Cheetham lifted up his hands.  “Why, you’ll take nine pounds a week at that!”

“Ay, and more,” said Henry, coolly.  “But I sha’n’t make it.  Why, this scheme entails no end of expenses.  A house, and stables with back entrance.  A swift horse, to gallop to the forge at sunset, and back by noon.  A cart to take the things to the railway and back, and to the parcel delivery for you.  And, besides that, I must risk my neck, riding over broken ground at night:  and working night and day shortens life.  You can’t reduce these things to Labor and Capital.  It’s Life, Labor, and Capital.”

“Hallo!  There’s a new cry.  I tell ye what; you know too much for me.  You read the Beehive.  I take you at your price.”