"Has Miss Pethram absolutely nothing?" he asked.
"Really," says the solicitor, "I don't know if I can give you any information----"
"Yes, you can! I am engaged to Miss Pethram, and I am going to marry her as soon as I can. I don't want her money for myself, but I want her to get her rights."
"Mr. Maxwell," said Dombrain, solemnly, "the late Sir Rupert was a great friend of mine, and I would do anything for his daughter, but I'm afraid that she inherits nothing but two thousand shares."
"Oh, indeed! In what company?"
"In the Pole Star Silver Mining Company, Limited Melbourne, Australia."
"Are they worth anything?"
"Not even the paper they are written on."
"Hump!" said Archie, thoughtfully, "from what I heard of Sir Rupert, I should hardly think he was a fool, and no one but a fool would invest his money in a rotten company. Do you know anything of Australian mining?"
"I know New Zealand," replied Mr. Dombrain, evasively, "but I'm not acquainted with Australia. The mine may turn up trumps. On the other hand it may not."