"Suit yourself," said his father coldly. "Now you may leave the room. I am busy."
Randolph left the room. He would have slammed the door behind him, but he knew his father's temper, and he did not dare to do so.
"What am I to do?" Prince Duncan asked himself anxiously. "I must send money to the brokers, or they will sell me out, and I shall meet with a heavy loss."
After a little thought he wrote a letter enclosing a check, but dated it two days ahead.
"They will think it a mistake," he thought, "and it will give me time to turn around. Now for money to meet the check when it arrives."
Prince Duncan went up-stairs, and, locking the door of his chamber, opened a large trunk in one corner of the room. From under a pile of clothing he took out a tin box, and with hands that trembled with excitement he extracted therefrom a dozen government bonds. One was for ten thousand dollars, one for five, and the remainder were for one thousand dollars each.
"If they were only sold, and the money deposited in the bank to my credit," he thought. "I am almost sorry I started in this thing. The risk is very great, but—but I must have money."
At this moment some one tried the door.
Prince Duncan turned pale, and the bonds nearly fell from his hands.
"Who's there?" he asked.