red his shoulders to meet facts; he could always do that.
Moreover he looked ahead--that power was also among his gifts--and saw
how presently this thing, like other things, would become a matter of
course.

"That's settled, Janie," said he. "I've made my last suggestion."

She went off in distress to her mother, but was told to "let him alone."
The wisdom of woman and of years spoke. Presently Iver went out to play
golf. But his heart was still bitter within him; he could not resist
the sight of a possible sympathizer; he mentioned to the Major, who was
his antagonist in the game, that it was not often that a young fellow
refused such a chance as he had just offered in vain to Bob Broadley.
His prospective relationship to Bob had reached the stage of being
assumed between Duplay and him, although it had not yet been explicitly
mentioned.

"I wish somebody would try me!" laughed the Major. "I'm kicking my heels
all day down here."

Iver made no reply and played the round in silence. He lost, perhaps
because he was thinking of something else. He liked Duplay, he thought
him clever, and, looking back on the history of the Tristram affair, he
felt somehow that he would like to do the Major a good turn. Were they
not in a sense companions in misfortune?

Two days later Duplay sat in the offices of Sloyd, Sloyd, and Gurney, as
Iver's representative; his mission was to represent to the youthful firm
the exceeding folly of their conduct in regard to Blinkhampton. His
ready brain had assimilated all the facts, and they lost nothing by his
ready tongue. He even made an impression on the enemy.

"It doesn't do to look at one transaction only, Mr Sloyd," he reminded
the spruce but rather nervous young man. "It'll pay you to treat us
reasonably. Mr Iver's a good friend to have and a bad enemy."

"I'm quite alive to all that; but we have obtained a legitimate
advantage and----" Sloyd was evidently a little puzzled, and he glanced
at the clock.

"We recognize that; we offer you two thousand pounds. We take over your
option and give you two thousand." This was the figure that Iver and he
had decided would tempt the young firm; their fear of the great Mr Iver
would make them content with that.

Sloyd was half inclined to be content; the firm would make a thousand;
the balance would be good interest on the capitalist's ten thousand
pounds; and there would still be enough of a victory to soothe the
feelings of everybody concer