"I, my dear fellow!" he said; "at least, of course I caused it to be sent. As usual, two days ago, I despatched one cipher telegram to this valet of mine, telling him to invest, and another to my manager telling him to wire, 'Strong support in Australia.' He did as I told him; Chavasse did not. That is all."
Jack was silent a moment, but it did not take him long to grasp the whole situation, for it was very simple.
"And what next?" he said.
Alington shrugged his shoulders.
"Unless the shares go up again before next settling-day, I shall almost certainly be bankrupt," he said.
"Then why, if the papers were correctly informed, did you go on buying last night?"
"Because I could get Carmel dirt cheap," he said. "If they go up, I am so much the richer; if they do not, I am done in any case. This unfortunate contretemps about my foolish valet does not affect the value of the mine. The gold is there just the same."
"But nobody will believe that," put in Jack.
"For the present, as you say—for the immediate present—they will not realize it. They will think themselves lucky to part with their shares enormously below their value. My fortune depends on how soon they realize it."
"There will be an inquiry into the matter?"