“I cannot say for certain, but our young friend’s strange conduct seems to suggest that he has smelt a rat, possibly even that Jackson, the old beast, has shown him a rat—­of a large Turkish breed.”

Sir Robert nodded.

“Vernon is a fellow who doesn’t like rats; they seem to haunt his sleep,” he said; “but do you think that having seen it, he will keep it in the bag?”

“Oh! certainly, certainly,” answered Mr. Haswell with cheerfulness; “the man is the soul of honour; he will never give us away.  Look how he behaved about those shares.  Still, I think that perhaps we are well rid of him.  Too much honour, like too much zeal, is a very dangerous quality in any business.”

“I don’t know that I agree with you,” answered Sir Robert.  “I am not sure that in the long run we should not do better for a little more of the article.  For my part, although it will not hurt us publicly, for the thing will never be noticed, I am sorry that we have lost Vernon, very sorry indeed.  I don’t think him a fool, and awkward as they may be, I respect his qualities.”

“So do I, so do I,” answered Mr. Haswell, “and of course we have acted against his advice throughout, which must have been annoying to him.  The scheme as he suggested it was a fair business proposition that might have paid ten per cent. on a small capital, but what is the good of ten per cent. to you and me?  We want millions and we are going to get them.  Well, he is coming to The Court to-morrow, and perhaps after all we shall be able to arrange matters.  I’ll give Barbara a hint; she has great influence with him, and you might do the same, Aylward.”

“Miss Champers has great influence with everyone who is fortunate enough to know her,” answered Sir Robert courteously.  “But even if she chooses to use it, I doubt if it will avail in this case.  Vernon has been making up his mind for a long while.  I have watched him and am sure of that.  To-night he determined to take the plunge and I do not think that we shall see any more of him in this office.  Haswell,” he added with sudden energy, “I tell you that of late our luck has been too good to last.  The boom, the real boom, came in with Vernon, and with Vernon I think that it will go.”

“At any rate it must leave something pretty substantial behind it this time, Aylward, my friend.  Whatever happens, within a week we shall be rich, really rich for life.”

“For life, Haswell, yes, for life.  But what is life?  A bubble that any pin may prick.  Oh!  I know that you do not like the subject, but it is as well to look it in the face sometimes.  I’m no church-goer, but if I remember right we were taught to pray the good Lord to deliver us especially ‘in all times of our wealth,’ which is followed by something about tribulation and sudden death, for when they wrote that prayer the wheel of human fortune went round just as it does to-day.  There, let’s get out of this before I grow superstitious, as men who believe in nothing sometimes do, because after all they must believe in something, I suppose.  Got your hat and coat?  So have I, come on,” and he switched off the light, so that the room was left in darkness except for the faint glimmering of the fire.