"I hope I shall not," he answered, seriously. "But in the chances of life there must be a great many failures. Think of the millions of toiling people in England to-day and how few of them have reached their hearts' desire."
"Yes, I suppose that is so," she answered, thoughtfully, "or perhaps the bulk of them have never had any large desires. But don't you think that most of the great men who have striven long enough have won in the end?"
"I was not thinking of the great men," he answered. "It is given only to a few men to be great, and of the rest, if they fail once, their chance is gone."
"And do you mean to tell me that if you don't succeed this time you won't try again?"
"If circumstances would let me, I would never cease trying," he answered. "But we are all of us more or less the slaves of circumstances, some more than others."
"You told me once that you had staked your all on the success of this enterprise."
"That is true."
"And if you fail, you will lose everything?"
"Everything!"
"You mean, of course, your time and your money, and your labour!"