Joy eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 81 pages of information about Joy.

Joy eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 81 pages of information about Joy.

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.

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Project Gutenberg
Joy from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.