tiously though."

"Yes, you will. By Jove, Wyvern, I believe you are developing a
business instinct after all."

"Well what I was going to say is this. Hold on as well as you can until
it does realise, and then any capital you may require to set you on your
legs again, and clear off liabilities with, I shall take it as a favour
if you would let me advance. I am just as certain of getting it all
back again as if I stuck it into the Bank of England, and even if I
wasn't what the devil does it matter? We shall be near relations
directly."

The other was looking curiously at him.

"By the Lord, Wyvern, but you are a deuced good chap; in fact a very
exceptional one. If you only knew all, now! Why most men would have
gladly seen me to the devil under the circumstances."

"Most men must be very exceptional cads then," laughed Wyvern, tilting
back his chair, and lighting a pipe. "And as for knowing everything I
know all I want to know--no, by the bye--there's one thing I do want to
know. Who bought Seven Kloofs? I'm going to buy it back again."

"The deuce you are! Then let me frankly advise you not to. It's the
most rotten investment I ever made."

"Oh, so you took it on, then? Why you weren't keeping up your
reputation that shot, Le Sage."

"No. You shall know some more though, now. I bought it with the sole
object of getting you out of this part of the country. How's that?"

Wyvern threw back his head, and roared.

"How's that?" he said. "Why you bit off more than you could chew--
darned sight more, old chap. Still I'm going to have it back again, not
as a stock run but as a game preserve. I'm no good at farming I know,
but I'm fond of this part of the country and the climate. So we shall
squat down at Seven Kloofs--I think I shall take to writing books, or
some such foolishness--and all be as jolly together as it's possible to
be. How's _that_?"

"Oh, good enough," said the other in a relieved tone. "You won't take
the child right away from me then?"

"Rather not I must take her away for a short time though, Le Sage. I
must go to England almost directly with Fleetwood to see about realising
our plunder, and I can't leave Lalante behind. What do you say?"

There was only one thing to be said under the circumstances, and Le
Sage, being a sensible man, said it. Afterwards the two men sat talking
matters over till far into the night, even into the small hours.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.