“But do you understand the magnitude of the affair, sir?” cried Hallett, whose face flushed and eyes glittered with excitement.
“Quite so,” replied the old gentleman, diving again into his snuff-box. “The first thing is, sir, to draw out a proper document between us—we can do that without the lawyers. Then proper drawings must be made, with description, and the thing must be patented.”
“But that will take nearly a hundred pounds!” cried Hallett, panting; while I sat there hugging myself with delight.
“You can have my cheque for a hundred pounds, Mr Hallett, as soon as we have settled the preliminaries; and I bind myself to go on finding the necessary cash for construction as you go on. And now, sir, it’s pretty well my bed-time, and I want to be off. Do nothing rashly. This day week I’ll come here again for your answer, which I hope will be yes; for I think it will be a good stroke of business for both of us. Now good-night. Antony Grace, will you show me the way down to the door?”
They shook hands, and I saw the old gentleman to the street.
“There, my boy, wasn’t that done well?” he chuckled. “But look here, Antony Grace,” he added seriously; “I’d have done it without Miss Carr, that I would, for I believe in that machine. Good-night, boy, I’ll come on next week and—hang it, look at that fellow who just passed. He’s as like John Lister as two peas.”
The old man went off, and I returned to my room, where I found Hallett waiting for me in a state of intense excitement.
“Antony,” he exclaimed, “it is too good to be true. It is fortune at last—success. Good heavens! it makes me turn giddy. Mother—Linny,” he cried, in a low passionate wail, “at last there is sunshine breaking through the clouds.”
“I pray Heaven there may be, Hallett,” I exclaimed; “but I have something to say to you.”
“What is it?” he cried. “Has the old man repented?”