The audience appeared to be unanimous as the hands went up, and Leonard sought to turn the matter to his advantage.
"Carried," he said. "We will now adjourn the meeting until the information which is asked for can be supplied."
"That," Andrew stated firmly, "is not needful. I can give now an accurate outline of the Company's position."
The secretary protested that this was informal and one of the directors requested Leonard to rule it out of order; but the meeting had got beyond the chairman's control. There were poor men present who thought they had lost their all, as well as rich men who believed they had been deceived, and Leonard's words were greeted with angry clamor.
Murray jumped to his feet.
"I suggest that we hear Mr. Allinson. We will learn the truth from him!" he said.
"Let him speak!" shouted some one.
Andrew, standing very still and intent of face, raised his hand and the turmoil ceased.
"I ask your attention. First, I must show you the worst of things, as I learned it on the spot in Canada. The mine is threatened with inundation, which can be prevented only by the use of powerful pumping machinery; the rock is unusually broken up and faulty, which necessitates expensive timbering and impedes the work. These difficulties, however, need not be enlarged upon, because, if the quality of the ore justified it, they could be overcome. Instead, I will tell you roughly how much capital we have expended, the quantity of ore raised, the cost of its extraction, and the value of the yield in refined metal."
He quoted from his notebook, and there was a strange quietness as he proceeded: