Lever. [Quizzically.] Of course, sir, if you advise that——­

Colonel.  If it were mine, I’d no more sit down under the belief that the ore stopped there than I ’d—–­There’s a harmony in these things.

Never.  I can only tell you what our experts say.

Colonel.  Ah!  Experts!  No faith in them—­never had!  Miners, lawyers, theologians, cowardly lot—­pays them to be cowardly.  When they have n’t their own axes to grind, they’ve got their theories; a theory’s a dangerous thing. [He loses himself in contemplation of the papers.] Now my theory is, you ’re in strata here of what we call the Triassic Age.

Lever. [Smiling faintly.] Ah!

Colonel.  You’ve struck a fault, that’s what’s happened.  The ore may be as much as thirty or forty yards out; but it ’s there, depend on it.

Lever.  Would you back that opinion, sir?

Colonel. [With dignity.] I never give an opinion that I’m not prepared to back.  I want to get to the bottom of this.  What’s to prevent the gold going down indefinitely?

Lever.  Nothing, so far as I know.

Colonel. [With suspicion.] Eh!

Lever.  All I can tell you is:  This is as far as we’ve got, and we want more money before we can get any farther.

Colonel. [Absently.] Yes, yes; that’s very usual.

Lever.  If you ask my personal opinion I think it’s very doubtful that the gold does go down.

Colonel. [Smiling.] Oh! a personal opinion a matter of this sort!

Lever. [As though about to take the papers.] Perhaps we’d better close the sitting, sir; sorry to have bored you.

Colonel.  Now, now!  Don’t be so touchy!  If I’m to put money in, I’m bound to look at it all round.

Lever. [With lifted brows.] Please don’t imagine that I want you to put money in.

Colonel.  Confound it, sir!  D ’you suppose I take you for a Company promoter?

Lever.  Thank you!

Colonel. [Looking at him doubtfully.] You’ve got Irish blood in you—­um?  You’re so hasty!

Lever.  If you ’re really thinking of taking shares—­my advice to you is, don’t!

Colonel. [Regretfully.] If this were an ordinary gold mine, I wouldn’t dream of looking at it, I want you to understand that.  Nobody has a greater objection to gold mines than I.

Lever. [Looks down at his host with half-closed eyes.] But it is a gold mine, Colonel Hope.

Colonel.  I know, I know; but I ’ve been into it for myself; I’ve formed my opinion personally.  Now, what ’s the reason you don’t want me to invest?

Lever.  Well, if it doesn’t turn out as you expect, you’ll say it’s my doing.  I know what investors are.