Dick—­[softly]—­Dick!

     [Dick stops.]

I didn’t mean that; will you get me some water-irises for this evening?

Dick.  Won’t I? [He goes to the hollow tree and from its darkness takes a bucket and a boat-hook.] I know where there are some rippers!

     [Joy stays unmoving with her eyes half closed.]

Are you sure you ’re all right.  Joy?  You ’ll just rest here in the shade, won’t you, till I come back?—­it ’ll do you no end of good.  I shan’t be twenty minutes.

     [He goes, but cannot help returning softly, to make sure.]

You’re quite sure you ’re all right?

     [Joy nods.  He goes away towards the river.  But there is no
     rest for joy.  The voices of Mrs. Gwyn and lever are heard
     returning.]

Joy. [With a gesture of anger.] Hateful!  Hateful!

     [She runs away.]

     [Mrs. Gwyn and lever are seen approaching; they pass the tree,
     in conversation.]

Mrs. Gwyn.  But I don’t see why, Maurice.

Lever.  We mean to sell the mine; we must do some more work on it, and for that we must have money.

Mrs. Gwyn.  If you only want a little, I should have thought you could have got it in a minute in the City.

Lever. [Shaking his head.] No, no; we must get it privately.

Mrs. Gwyn. [Doubtfully.] Oh! [She slowly adds.] Then it isn’t such a good thing!

     [And she does not look at him.]

Lever.  Well, we mean to sell it.

Mrs. Gwyn.  What about the people who buy?

Lever. [Dubiously regarding her.] My dear girl, they’ve just as much chance as we had.  It ’s not my business to think of them.  There’s your thousand pounds——­

Mrs. Gwyn. [Softly.] Don’t bother about my money, Maurice.  I don’t want you to do anything not quite——­

Lever. [Evasively.] Oh!  There’s my brother’s and my sister’s too.  I ’m not going to let any of you run any risk.  When we all went in for it the thing looked splendid; it ’s only the last month that we ’ve had doubts.  What bothers me now is your Uncle.  I don’t want him to take these shares.  It looks as if I’d come here on purpose.

Mrs. Gwyn.  Oh! he mustn’t take them!

Lever.  That ’s all very well; but it ’s not so simple.

Mrs. Gwyn. [Shyly.] But, Maurice, have you told him about the selling?

Lever. [Gloomily, under the hollow tree.] It ’s a Board secret. 
I’d no business to tell even you.

Mrs. Gwyn.  But he thinks he’s taking shares in a good—­a permanent thing.

Lever.  You can’t go into a mining venture without some risk.