Miss Brewster laughed at that.
'No; I shall put in what I first wrote: "Mr. George Wentworth, one of the leading accountants of London, has gone through the books of the different mines. He has made some startling discoveries. The accounts have been kept in such a way as to completely delude investors, and this fact will have a powerful effect on the minds of the London Syndicate. The books of the different mines show a profit of about two hundred thousand dollars, whereas the actual facts of the case are that there has been an annual loss of something like one hundred thousand dollars—"'
'What's that? what's that?' cried Wentworth sharply.
'Dollars, you know. You said twenty thousand pounds. We put it in dollars, don't you see?'
'Oh,' said Wentworth, relapsing again.
'"One hundred thousand dollars"—where was I? Oh yes. "It is claimed that an American expert went over these books before Mr. Wentworth, and that he asserted they were all right. An explanation from this gentleman will now be in order."'
'There!' cried the young lady, 'that is the substance of the thing. Of course, I may amplify a little more before we get to Queenstown, so as to make them pay more money. People don't value a thing that doesn't cost them dearly. How do you like it? Is it correct?'
'Perfectly correct,' answered the miserable young man.
'Oh, I am so glad you like it! I do love to have things right.'
'I didn't say I liked it.'