ly perhaps we'll have more
cows and a pig or two."

She laughed, and he raised her smiling lips to his and kissed them.

Mr. de Vinne had dined well and had enjoyed an evening's amusement. He
had been to the Hippodrome, and his enjoyment had been made the more
piquant by the knowledge that Mr. Augustus Tibbetts had as good as
placed ten thousand pounds in his pocket. He was a surprised man, on
returning to Sloane Square, to discover, waiting in the hall, his
unwilling benefactor.

"Why, Mr. Tibbetts," he said, "this is a great surprise."

"Yes," said Bones, "I suppose it is, old Mr. de Vinne." And he coughed
solemnly, as one who was the guardian of a great secret.

"Come in," said Mr. de Vinne, more genial than ever. "This is my
little den"--indicating a den which the most fastidious of lions would
not have despised. "Sit down and have a cigar, old man. Now, what
brings you here to-night?"

"The shares," said Bones soberly. "I've been worrying about the
shares."

"Ah, yes," said Mr. de Vinne carelessly. "Why worry about them, dear
boy?"

"Well, I thought I might lose the opportunity of buying them. I think
there's something to be made out of that property. In fact," said
Bones emphatically, "I'm pretty certain I could make a lot of money if
I had control."

"I agree with you," said the earnest Mr. de Vinne.

"Now the point is," said Bones, "I've been studying that list of yours,
and it seems to me that the majority of the two hundred and fifty
thousand shares issued are either held by you or by one of the
Poles--jolly old Joe or jolly old Fred, I don't know which."

"Jolly old Fred," said Mr. de Vinne gravely.

"Now, if there's one person I don't want to meet to-night, or
to-morrow, or any other day," said Bones, "it's Pole."

"There's no need for you to meet him," smiled de Vinne.

"In fact," said Bones, with sudden ferocity, "I absolutely refuse to
buy any shares from Fred. I'll buy yours, but I will not buy a single
one from Fred."

Mr. De Vinne thought rapidly.

"There's really no reason," he said carelessly. "As a matter of fact,
I took over Fred's shares to-night, or the majority of them. I can let
you have--let me see"--he made a rapid calculation--"I can let you have
a hundred and eighty thousand shares at nineteen and nine."

"Eighteen shillings," said Bones firmly, "and not a penny more."

They wrangled about the price for five minutes, and then, in an
outburst of generosit