It Is Never Too Late to Mend Part 114

"Show us what they gave you as the price of a dinner?"

Meadows dug into a deep pocket, and chased into a corner, and caught, and produced a little nugget of quartz and gold worth about four pounds, also another of somewhat less value.

"They don't look handsome, gents," said he, "but you may see the stuff glitter here and there; and here is some of the dust. I had to buy this; gave them fifty s.h.i.+llings an ounce for it. I wish I had bought a hundred-weight, for they tell me it is worth three pound ten here."

"May we inspect these specimens?"

"Why not, sir? I'll trust it with you. I wouldn't with everybody, though."

The partners retired with the gold, tested it with muriatic acid, weighed it, and after a short, excited interview one of them brought it back and asked with great nonchalance the price of the land.

Meadows hung his head.

"Twenty thousand pounds."

"Twenty thousand pounds!" and the partner laughed in his face.

"I don't wonder you are surprised, sir. I wonder at myself asking so much. Why, before this, if you had offered me five thousand, I would have jumped into your arms, as the saying is; but they all say I ought to have twenty thousand, and they have talked to me till they make me greedy."

The partner retired and consulted, and the firm ended by offering ten thousand.

"I am right down ashamed to say no," was the answer, "but I suppose I must not take it."

The firm undertook to prove it was a magnificent offer. Meadows offered no resistance, he thought so too; but he must not take it, everybody told him it was worth more. At last, when his hand was on the door, they offered him twelve thousand five hundred.

He begged to consider it.

No! they were peremptory. If he was off, they were off.

He looked this way and that way with a frightened air.

"What shall I do, sir?" said he, helplessly, to Clinton, and nudged him secretly.

"Take it, and think yourself very lucky," said that gentleman, exchanging a glance with the firm.

"Well, then, if you say so, I will. You shall have it, gentlemen, five hundred acres in two lots--400 and 100."

Clinton, acting on his secret instructions, now sought a private interview with the firm.

"I am to have a commission, gentlemen?"

"Yes! fifty pounds; but, really, we can hardly afford it."

"Well, then, as you give me an interest in it, I say--pin him."

"Why?"

"Don't you see he is one of those soft fellows who listen to everybody.

If he goes away, and they laugh at him for not getting more for it, I really could hardly answer for his ever coming back here."

The firm came in cheerfully.

"Well, Mr. ---- Mr."

"Not Mr., sir. Crawley--plain John Crawley."

"We will terminate this affair with you. We will have a contract of sale drawn up and make you an advance. When can you give us the t.i.tle deeds?"

"In a couple of hours, if the lawyer is at home."

"By the by, you will not object to draw upon us at three months for one half of the money?"

"No, sir. I should say by the look of you you were as good as the bank."

"The other half by check in two hours." The parties signed the contract respectively.

Then Meadows and Clinton went off to the Five-per-Center, completed with him, got the t.i.tle deeds, brought them, received check and accepted draft. Clinton, by Meadows' advice, went in and dunned for his commission then and there, and got it, and the confederates went off and took a hasty dinner together. After dinner they settled.

"As you showed me how to get this commission out of them, it belongs to you," said Clinton, sorrowfully.

"It does, sir. Give it to me. I return it to you, sir; do me the favor to accept it."

"You are very generous, Mr. Meadows."

"And here is the other fifty you have earned."

"Thank you, my good sir. Are you satisfied with the day's work?"

"Amply, sir. Your skill and ingenuity brought us through triumphant,"

said Meadows, resuming the deferential, since he risked nothing by it now.

"Well, I think I managed it pretty well. By the by, that gold you showed them, was it really gold?"

"Certainly."

"Oh! because I thought--"

"No, sir, you did not. A man of your ability knows I would not risk ten thousand pounds for want of a purchase I could not lose ten s.h.i.+llings by ----. Ore is not a fancy article."

"Oh! ah! yes, very true; no, of course not. One question more. Where did the gold come from?"

"California."

"But, I mean, how did you get it?"

"I bought it out of a shop window those two knowing ones pa.s.s twice every day of their lives."

"Ha! ha! ha!"