"But, my dear boy, why not have made a fight for it?" cried the Major,
as he perspired profusely in his efforts to keep up with Clive, who was
striding about the garden.
"I'm going to fight for it, sir," cried Clive impatiently; "but these
matters are not settled by brute force and bayonets."
"Well, well, no," cried the Major; "but you gave up almost without a
word."
"Everything was against me, sir. Come: you, as a soldier, know that I
was beaten by a clever bit of strategy, and that I must meet the
position by something of the same kind."
"Yes, but you were in possession."
"I was, sir, but a majority of the shareholders decided that my
management was bad, and appointed another man, so I am bound to give
up."
"But not without a struggle."
"I am going to struggle, sir, but carefully. I cannot afford to fight
against what is partly my own property."
"But you had a great number of shares, my dear boy."
"I did hold nearly half, sir, and I felt it my duty to help friends who
had lost, and--"
"You have ruined yourself to help me!" cried the Major passionately.
"Nonsense! there is no question of ruin in this case, sir. It is only a
business of the management. I ought to have known that my brother would
never sit down quietly under his disappointment; but I never thought he
would be partner in such a scheme as this."
"Then you think it was your brother who was the man that set the rumour
afloat?" cried the Major.
"From his connection with, and knowledge of stocks, I now feel convinced
it was."
"The man whom I made my guest."
"Yes," said Clive. "He was down here, evidently as a spy, and this
fellow--this solicitor, Wrigley, seems to be an old friend of his. Nice
way to speak of my own brother, sir."
"Your own brother!" cried the Major, in a towering passion; "he is a
scoundrel, sir; I'd disown him, sir. He's my enemy, sir. He has ruined
me as well as you."
"No, no, no, my dear sir. I tell you there is no question of ruin in
the matter. There is the mine, and it is so enormously rich that the
shareholders cannot suffer. The annoyance is, being kicked out of one's
position in the management; but, as we school-boys used to say,--`two
can play at that game;' and perhaps at the next board meeting I shall be
able to overset Mr Jessop. Why, the scoundrel must have been in league
with Sturgess, and that accounts for this fellow's insolence to me on
several occasions."
"Of course; and a nice diabolical scheme they have hatched between them.
But you shall overthrow them, Clive, my boy, that you shall. Oh, I see
it all now, unbusiness-like as I am. They had that report spread,
frightened the shareholders into a panic, and then bought up
everything."
"Yes, sir, that was their _modus operandi_."
"And they caught all the fools, including my stupid old self," growled
the Major. "But wait a bit. I daresay I shall have a settlement with
Master Jessop Reed one of these days, and when that day does come, let
him look out."
"No, Major, you will leave this to me," said Clive quietly. "Now, then,
I'm going to throw over this piece of worry, and have a calm quiet day
with our darling. As I tell you, it does not interfere with my monetary
position in the least, and it will save me a great deal of hard work;
but to-morrow morning I must go back to town and see the other
shareholders, for this state of affairs ought not to continue, though I
must own that Sturgess is a clever manager, and does his work well."
The Major unslung a satchel from his shoulder at the door.
"Why, you have been carrying that heavy lot of specimens all the time,"
said Clive, smiling.
"Yes, I forgot all about them," said the Major; and he tossed the
contents out into a basket in the tiny hall.
"Lead ore," said Clive, looking curiously at a little block of dull grey
stone.
"Yes, there's plenty of that stuff on my wild bit of mountain land. It
all interests me, and of course much more since I have been a
shareholder in the mine--I mean," said the Major hastily, "since I was
once."
"You are, Major. Once for all, no more words about that. A certain
number more shares have been transferred to you, and they stand as yours
in the company's books. Not another word. Ah, Dinah! I seem to have
neglected you sadly. Now, no more business; the whole day is ours.
To-morrow morning I must be off back to town."
The parting was sad enough the next morning quite early, for, to Dinah,
it was as if she were losing her protector for many days to come, and
she could not drive away the forebodings of looming troubles as she
clung to Clive after accompanying him with the Major for some distance
along the mountain track leading to Blinkdale. But Clive was cheerful
and bright, and at last he tore himself away, insisting upon their
returning, as he would have to hasten on.
"Take care of her, Major," he cried, "and I'll send you plenty of
letters. Keep a good heart--it will all come right in the end. Now--
goodbye."
He sprang away, and they stood watching him as he stopped from time to
time to wave his hand before plunging down into a hollow, and
disappearing from their sight.
They turned then, and walked back in silence to the cottage, each too
much occupied with painful thoughts to attempt to speak, for a shadow
seemed to have fallen over their lives which was gradually darkening;
and there were moments when Dinah looked forward, and then clung
spasmodically to her father's arm, for he broke out into angry
mutterings from time to time, and as she looked in his face she could
see that it was black with suppressed passion.
At last they reached the river path, and the Major broke out:
"I see it all plainly enough," he cried. "Clive was right; that
scoundrel of a brother was down here as a spy, and, curse him, I
entertained him for his sake. He has won round that fellow Sturgess,
and they think they are going to do as they like; but if I am to be a
shareholder, confound them! they shall find that I can be a sharp one
too, so let them beware."