"I am glad they have put it in this week," he said. "They promised to make an effort."
"You have seen it? Don't you think it is good?"
"I wrote it—practically, at least, I wrote it. The City editor, at any rate, was kind enough to write it under my suggestions—I might say under my dictation."
"One can't have too many friends," observed Conybeare.
"Well, I can hardly call him a friend. I never set eyes on him till two days ago, and then he was more an enemy. He called and tried to blackmail me."
"My dear Alington, what have you been doing?" asked Jack.
Mr. Alington paused and laughed gently.
"He tried to blackmail me not because I had been doing anything, but because I had not done something—because I had not offered him shares, in fact; but I squared that very easily."
"You paid him?" asked Jack.
"Of course. He was comparatively cheap, and he became like Balaam. He came to curse, and he went away blessing me and the mine, and Australia and you, with a small cheque in his pocket and copious notes for this article to which you have been referring."