“I was not going to say anything about your sister, my dear boy. I can wait and bear anything. But I suppose I may say something about you?”
“About me?”
“Yes. I’ve got a splendid thing on. Safe to make money—heaps of it.”
“Yes; but your schemes always want money first.”
“Well, hang it all, lad! you can’t expect a crop of potatoes without planting a few bits first. It wouldn’t want much. Only about fifty pounds. A hundred would be better, but we could make fifty do.”
Harry shook his head.
“Come, come; you haven’t heard half yet. I’ve the genuine information. It would be worth a pile of money. It’s our chance now—such a chance as may never occur again.”
“No, no; don’t tempt me, Vic,” said Harry, after a long whimpered conversation.
“Tempt? I feel disposed to force you, lad. It makes me half wild to see you degraded to such work as this. Why, if we do as I propose you will be in a position to follow out your aunt’s instructions, engage lawyers to push on your case, and while you obtain your rights, I shall be in a position to ask your sister’s hand without the chance of a refusal. I tell you the thing’s safe.”
“No, no,” said Harry, shaking his head; “it’s too risky. We should lose and be worse off than ever.”