“I do.”
“What will you do? You have no ship nor enough of money to carry out your hare-brained enterprise.”
“But my friend, Mr. Clifford, has,” replied Hartley, coolly.
The miser turned and regarded Clifford almost insolently.
“Yes,” said the traveler, with assumed nonchalance. “You have chosen to throw away your golden opportunity, Mr. Parker. We are not sorry, however, to exclude you from our enterprise. It is true that I have money enough to build, buy or charter any kind of a vessel we may desire to accomplish our purpose.”
The miser looked keenly at Clifford and then stammered:
“But—I—I will reconsider——”
“No, you won’t,” said Clifford emphatically. “We are alone in this enterprise, sir. You are excluded!”
The miser said no more. But he chuckled much under his breath. The Aurelian a few hours later was at her wharf.
Then Captain Hartley and the distinguished traveler took their leave of the vessel. The captain took the portfolio in which he had kept the copy of Don Cristobal’s story, among other effects.