‘Well, I suppose the fifty pounds would bring us in about thirty shillings a year.’
‘Thirty shillings! O Frank!’
‘Rather less than more.’
‘Fancy a great rich nation like ours taking our fifty pounds and treating us like that. How mean of them! Don’t let them have it, Frank.’
‘No, I won’t.’
‘If they want it, they can make us a fair offer for it.’
‘I think we’ll try something else.’
‘Well, they have only themselves to thank. But you have some plan in your head, Frank. What is it?’
He brought the morning paper over from the table. Then he folded it so as to bring the financial columns to the top.
‘I saw a fellow in the City yesterday who knows a great deal about gold-mining. I only had a few minutes’ talk, but he strongly advised me to have some shares in the El Dorado Proprietary Gold Mine.’