'What has become of the mill?' he asked 'We have put an agent into it.'
'Is not that dangerous? What check have you on him?'
'He pays us a fixed sum sir. But, my word! when there is such a thing as this on hand a trumpery mill like that is not worth speaking of.'
'You haven't sold it?'
'Well;--no. But we've arranged a price for a sale.'
'You haven't taken the money for it?'
'Well;--yes; we have. We've raised money on it, you know. You see you weren't there, and so the two resident partners acted for the firm. But Mr Montague, you'd better go with us. You had indeed.'
'And about my own income?'
'That's a flea-bite. When we've got a little ahead with this it won't matter, sir, whether you spend twenty thousand or forty thousand dollars a year. We've got the concession from the United States Government through the territories, and we're in correspondence with the President of the Mexican Republic. I've no doubt we've an office open already in Mexico and another at Vera Cruz.'
'Where's the money to come from?'
'Money to come from, sir? Where do you suppose the money comes from in all these undertakings? If we can float the shares, the money'll come in quick enough. We hold three million dollars of the stock ourselves.'
'Six hundred thousand pounds!' said Montague.
'We take them at par, of course,--and as we sell we shall pay for them. But of course we shall only sell at a premium. If we can run them up even to 110, there would be three hundred thousand dollars. But we'll do better than that. I must try and see Melmotte at once. You had better write a letter now.'
'I don't know the man.'
'Never mind. Look here I'll write it, and you can sign it.' Whereupon Mr Fisker did write the following letter:-Langham Hotel, London. March 4, 18--.
DEAR SIR I have the pleasure of informing you that my partner Mr Fisker,-- of Fisker, Montague, and Montague, of San Francisco,--is now in London with the view of allowing British capitalists to assist in carrying out perhaps the greatest work of the age,--namely, the South Central Pacific and Mexican Railway, which is to give direct communication between San Francisco and the Gulf of Mexico. He is very anxious to see you upon his arrival, as he is aware that your co-operation would be desirable. We feel assured that with your matured judgment in such matters, you would see, at once, the magnificence of the enterprise. If you will name a day and an hour, Mr Fisker will call upon you.