第7章

It is afternoon,and at a garden-table placed beneath the hollow tree,the COLONEL is poring over plans.Astride of a garden-chair,LEVER is smoking cigarettes.DICK is hanging Chinese lanterns to the hollow tree.

LEVER.Of course,if this level [pointing with his cigarette]

peters out to the West we shall be in a tightish place;you know what a mine is at this stage,Colonel Hope.

COLONEL.[Absently.]Yes,yes.[Tracing a line.]What is there to prevent its running out here to the East?

LEVER.Well,nothing,except that as a matter of fact it doesn't.

COLONEL.[With some excitement.]I'm very glad you showed me these papers,very glad!I say that it's a most astonishing thing if the ore suddenly stops there.[A gleam of humour visits LEVER'S face.]

I'm not an expert,but you ought to prove that ground to the East more thoroughly.

LEVER.[Quizzically.]Of course,sir,if you advise that--COLONEL.If it were mine,I'd no more sit down under the belief that the ore stopped there than I 'd--There's a harmony in these things.

NEVER.I can only tell you what our experts say.

COLONEL.Ah!Experts!No faith in them--never had!Miners,lawyers,theologians,cowardly lot--pays them to be cowardly.When they have n't their own axes to grind,they've got their theories;a theory's a dangerous thing.[He loses himself in contemplation of the papers.]Now my theory is,you 're in strata here of what we call the Triassic Age.

LEVER.[Smiling faintly.]Ah!

COLONEL.You've struck a fault,that's what's happened.The ore may be as much as thirty or forty yards out;but it 's there,depend on it.

LEVER.Would you back that opinion,sir?

COLONEL.[With dignity.]I never give an opinion that I'm not prepared to back.I want to get to the bottom of this.What's to prevent the gold going down indefinitely?

LEVER.Nothing,so far as I know.

COLONEL.[With suspicion.]Eh!

LEVER.All I can tell you is:This is as far as we've got,and we want more money before we can get any farther.

COLONEL.[Absently.]Yes,yes;that's very usual.

LEVER.If you ask my personal opinion I think it's very doubtful that the gold does go down.

COLONEL.[Smiling.]Oh!a personal opinion a matter of this sort!

LEVER.[As though about to take the papers.]Perhaps we'd better close the sitting,sir;sorry to have bored you.

COLONEL.Now,now!Don't be so touchy!If I'm to put money in,I'm bound to look at it all round.

LEVER.[With lifted brows.]Please don't imagine that I want you to put money in.

COLONEL.Confound it,sir!D 'you suppose I take you for a Company promoter?

LEVER.Thank you!

COLONEL.[Looking at him doubtfully.]You've got Irish blood in you--um?You're so hasty!

LEVER.If you 're really thinking of taking shares--my advice to you is,don't!

COLONEL.[Regretfully.]If this were an ordinary gold mine,Iwouldn't dream of looking at it,I want you to understand that.

Nobody has a greater objection to gold mines than I.

LEVER.[Looks down at his host with half-closed eyes.]But it is a gold mine,Colonel Hope.

COLONEL.I know,I know;but I 've been into it for myself;I've formed my opinion personally.Now,what 's the reason you don't want me to invest?

LEVER.Well,if it doesn't turn out as you expect,you'll say it's my doing.I know what investors are.

COLONEL.[Dubiously.]If it were a Westralian or a Kaffir I would n't touch it with a pair of tongs!It 's not as if I were going to put much in![He suddenly bends above the papers as though magnetically attracted.]I like these Triassic formations!

[DICK,who has hung the last lantern,moodily departs.]

LEVER.[Looking after him.That young man seems depressed.

COLONEL.[As though remembering his principles.]I don't like mines,never have![Suddenly absorbed again.]I tell you what,Lever--this thing's got tremendous possibilities.You don't seem to believe in it enough.No mine's any good without faith;until I see for myself,however,I shan't commit myself beyond a thousand.

LEVER.Are you serious,sir?

COLONEL.Certainly!I've been thinking it over ever since you told me Henty had fought shy.I 've a poor opinion of Henty.He's one of those fellows that says one thing and does another.An opportunist!

LEVER.[Slowly.]I'm afraid we're all that,more or less.[He sits beneath the hollow tree.]

COLONEL.A man never knows what he is himself.There 's my wife.

She thinks she 's--By the way,don't say anything to her about this,please.And,Lever [nervously],I don't think,you know,this is quite the sort of thing for my niece.

LEVER.(Quietly.]I agree.I mean to get her out of it.

COLONEL.[A little taken aback.]Ah!You know,she--she's in a very delicate position,living by herself in London.[LEVER looks at him ironically.]You [very nervously]see a good deal of her?If it had n't been for Joy growing so fast,we shouldn't have had the child down here.Her mother ought to have her with her.Eh!Don't you think so?

LEVER.[Forcing a smile.]Mrs.Gwyn always seems to me to get on all right.

COLONEL.[As though making a discovery.]You know,I've found that when a woman's living alone and unprotected,the very least thing will set a lot of hags and jackanapes talking.[Hotly.]The more unprotected and helpless a woman is,the more they revel in it.If there's anything I hate in this world,it's those wretched creatures who babble about their neighbours'affairs.

LEVER.I agree with you.

COLONEL.One ought to be very careful not to give them--that is--[checks himself confused;then hurrying on]--I suppose you and Joy get on all right?

LEVER.[Coolly.]Pretty well,thanks.I'm not exactly in Joy's line;have n't seen very much of her,in fact.

[Miss BEECH and JOY have been approaching from the house.But seeing LEVER,JOY turns abruptly,hesitates a moment,and with an angry gesture goes away.]

COLONEL [Unconscious.]Wonderfully affectionate little thing!Well,she'll be going home to-morrow!

MISS BEECH.[Who has been gazing after JOY.]Talkin'business,poor creatures?

LEVER.Oh,no!If you'll excuse me,I'll wash my hands before tea.