"One of the gentlemen said he was a shareholder, sir, the princ.i.p.al shareholder, and he gave me his card."

Clive s.n.a.t.c.hed it, and Dinah read the name thereon--

"Mr Wrigley, New Inn, Strand."

"Wrigley?" cried Clive excitedly.

"Yes, sir; and he said he must see you at once."

"All right; I'll come. Wait for me yonder at the corner, Robson; and I beg your pardon for speaking so roughly just now."

"That's nothing, sir. You were cross," said the clerk, smiling; and he walked back down the garden to go and stand watching the trout in the river.

"Don't look so scared, dearest," said Clive tenderly; "there is nothing wrong. I'll tell you briefly what it is. You know there was a scare about the mine--a panic."

"Yes, dear."

"Well, a lot of foolish old friends were frightened--oh, dear me! I'm accusing the Major. Well, there, I can't help it. He did act foolishly. A lot of them, I say, instead of coming to me went and sold their shares, and these were bought up by speculators who have since then been interfering at our board meetings, and wanting to meddle over the management of things. In fact, I was so wroth that I would not go to yesterday's meeting, but determined to come down here and see how things were, and--you know why I came. Now I must go on. I suppose they had their meeting yesterday, and pa.s.sed some resolution or another; but I'm too big a shareholder to be trifled with, and I'm going to meet these people now and have a row. For they shall have their big dividends, but I'm not going to have any meddlesome fools down here."

"But you will keep your temper, dear, and be calm."

"I'll take your sweet face with me, love, and--why, here's the Major.

Ah, my dear old dad, how are you? Good-bye, Dinah. Come over to the mine with me, sir, and help me to keep my temper; well talk as we go."

"Of course," cried the Major. "But look here, my boy--so glad to see you down--I saw a party going to the mine, and I hurried back trusting that one of them might be you."

"Come along," cried Clive; and after a quick, tender farewell, he hurried away along the path to the mine, explaining matters to the Major as he went.

On reaching the gate in the hill side, and entering the busy little hive of industry, it was plain that something important was on the way; for the men were all up from the workings, and were evidently listening to one of a party of well-dressed men, who was addressing them, and a buzz of voices arose as Clive, looking very stern now, walked up to the front of the office with his two companions.

"Oh, good morning, Mr Reed," said the speaker, getting down from a pile of lead pigs.

"Good morning, Mr Wrigley. Well, Jessop, you here?"

The latter gentleman nodded, and Sturgess, who had his arm in a sling, stood close behind him.

"I have been telling the men, Mr Reed, that in consonance with the resolution pa.s.sed at the board yesterday--"

"In my absence, Mr Wrigley."

"You had the proper notices, sir," said the lawyer coldly. "I say in accordance with the resolution pa.s.sed yesterday, it was determined, in the interests of the `White Virgin Mine,' to have a complete change of management."

"Indeed!" said Clive. "But I, as the greatest shareholder, object."

"You cannot, sir. I and my friends are greater shareholders, and have the majority with us. Out of respect to your late father's memory we have made a concession to your brother."

"Jessop!" cried Clive.

"Yes, sir. You will give up everything into his hands, for he will reside here and take the management, helped and counselled by Mr Sturgess, who now becomes co-manager of the property."

"And I?" said Clive, who was perfectly aghast at the petard sprung beneath his feet.

"Will clear out at once."

It was Jessop Reed who said these words brutally; and, as the brother's eyes met in a long piercing gaze, Clive Reed knew that his enemies had him firmly by the hip, and that the next minute he must fall.

CHAPTER THIRTY.

AFTER THE ENCOUNTER.

"But, my dear boy, why not have made a fight for it?" cried the Major, as he perspired profusely in his efforts to keep up with Clive, who was striding about the garden.

"I'm going to fight for it, sir," cried Clive impatiently; "but these matters are not settled by brute force and bayonets."

"Well, well, no," cried the Major; "but you gave up almost without a word."

"Everything was against me, sir. Come: you, as a soldier, know that I was beaten by a clever bit of strategy, and that I must meet the position by something of the same kind."

"Yes, but you were in possession."

"I was, sir, but a majority of the shareholders decided that my management was bad, and appointed another man, so I am bound to give up."

"But not without a struggle."

"I am going to struggle, sir, but carefully. I cannot afford to fight against what is partly my own property."

"But you had a great number of shares, my dear boy."

"I did hold nearly half, sir, and I felt it my duty to help friends who had lost, and--"

"You have ruined yourself to help me!" cried the Major pa.s.sionately.

"Nonsense! there is no question of ruin in this case, sir. It is only a business of the management. I ought to have known that my brother would never sit down quietly under his disappointment; but I never thought he would be partner in such a scheme as this."

"Then you think it was your brother who was the man that set the rumour afloat?" cried the Major.

"From his connection with, and knowledge of stocks, I now feel convinced it was."

"The man whom I made my guest."

"Yes," said Clive. "He was down here, evidently as a spy, and this fellow--this solicitor, Wrigley, seems to be an old friend of his. Nice way to speak of my own brother, sir."

"Your own brother!" cried the Major, in a towering pa.s.sion; "he is a scoundrel, sir; I'd disown him, sir. He's my enemy, sir. He has ruined me as well as you."

"No, no, no, my dear sir. I tell you there is no question of ruin in the matter. There is the mine, and it is so enormously rich that the shareholders cannot suffer. The annoyance is, being kicked out of one's position in the management; but, as we school-boys used to say,--`two can play at that game;' and perhaps at the next board meeting I shall be able to overset Mr Jessop. Why, the scoundrel must have been in league with Sturgess, and that accounts for this fellow's insolence to me on several occasions."

"Of course; and a nice diabolical scheme they have hatched between them.

But you shall overthrow them, Clive, my boy, that you shall. Oh, I see it all now, unbusiness-like as I am. They had that report spread, frightened the shareholders into a panic, and then bought up everything."