"My dear sir," expostulated the other suavely, "it is merely a matter of business. If you find it impossible to deal with us, there is no harm done. If our paper has no influence, we cannot possibly injure you. That, of course, is entirely for you to judge. If, any time between now and Sunday night, you conclude to act otherwise, a wire to our office will hold things over until we have had an opportunity of coming to an arrangement with you. If not, this article will be published on Monday morning. I wish you a very good afternoon, sir."
John said nothing, but watched his visitor out on the pavement, and then returned to the making of his report.
On Monday morning, as he came in by train, his eye caught a flaming poster on one of the bill-boards at the station. It was headed _Financial Field_, and the next line, in heavy black letters, was, "The Mica Mining Swindle," Kenyon called a newsboy to him and bought a copy of the paper.
There, in leaded type, was the article before him. It seemed, somehow, much more important on the printed page than it had looked in the proof.
As he read it, he noticed an air of truthful sincerity about the editorial that had escaped him during the brief glance he had given it on Friday. It went on to say that the Austrian Mining Company had sunk a good deal of money in the mine, and that it had never paid a penny of dividends; that they merely kept on at a constant loss to themselves in the hope of being able to swindle some confiding investors--but that even their designs were as nothing compared to the barefaced rascality contemplated by John Kenyon. He caught his breath as he saw his own name in print. It was a shock for which he was not prepared, as he had not noticed it in the proof. Then he read on. It seemed that this man, Kenyon, had secured the mine at something like ten thousand pounds, and was trying to palm it off on the unfortunate British public at the enormous increase of two hundred thousand pounds; but this nefarious attempt would doubtless be frustrated so long as there were papers of the integrity of the _Financial Field_, to take the risk and expense of making such an exposure as was here set forth.
The article possessed a singular fascination for Kenyon. He read and re-read it in a dazed way, as if the statement referred to some other person, and he could not help feeling sorry for that person.
He still had the paper in his hand as he walked up the street, and he felt numbed and dazed as if someone had struck him a blow. He was nearly run over in crossing one of the thoroughfares, and heard an outburst of profanity directed at him from a cab-driver and a man on a bus; but he heeded them not, walking through the crowd as if under a spell.
He pa.s.sed the door of his own gorgeous office, and walked some distance up the street before he realized what he had done. Then he turned back again, and, just at the doorstep, paused with a pang at his heart.
"I wonder if Edith Longworth will read that article," he said to himself.
CHAPTER XXIX.
When John Kenyon entered his office, he thought the clerk looked at him askance. He imagined that innocent employee had been reading the article in the _Financial Field_; but the truth is, John was hardly in a frame of mind to form a correct opinion on what other people were doing. Everybody he met in the street, it seemed to him, was discussing the article in the _Financial Field_.
He asked if anybody had been in that morning, and was told there had been no callers. Then he pa.s.sed into the directors" room, closed the door behind him, sat down on a chair, and leaned his head on his hands with his elbows on the table. In this position Wentworth found him some time later, and when John looked up his face was haggard and aged.
"Ah, I see you have read it."
"Yes."
"Do you think Longworth is at the bottom of that article?"
John shook his head.
"Oh no," he said; "he had nothing whatever to do with it."
"How do you know?"
Kenyon related exactly what had pa.s.sed between the oily young man of the _Financial Field_ and himself in that very room. While this recital was going on, Wentworth walked up and down, expressing his opinion now and then, in remarks that were short and pithy, but hardly fit for publication. When the story was told he turned to Kenyon.
"Well," he said, "there is nothing for it but to sue the paper for libel."
"What good will that do?"
"What good will it do? Do you mean to say that you intend to sit here under such an imputation as they have cast upon you, and do nothing? What _good_ will it do? It will do all the good in the world."
"We cannot form our company and sue the paper at the same time. All our energies will have to be directed towards the matter we have in hand."
"But, my dear John, don"t you see the effect of that article? How can we form our company if such a lie remains unchallenged? n.o.body will look at our proposals. Everyone will say, "What have you done about the article that appeared in the _Financial Field_?" If we say we have done nothing, then, of course, the natural inference is that we are a pair of swindlers, and that our scheme is a fraud."
"I have always thought," said John, "that the capitalization is too high."
"Really, I believe you think that article is not so unfair, after all.
John, I"m astonished at you!"
"But if we do commence a libel suit, it cannot be finished before our option has expired. If we tell people that we have begun a suit against the _Financial Field_ for libel, they will merely say they prefer to wait and hear what the result of the case is. By that time our chances of forming a company will be gone."
"There is a certain amount of truth in that; nevertheless, I do not see how we are to go on with our company unless suit for libel is at least begun."
Before John could reply there was a knock at the door, and the clerk entered with a letter in his hand which had just come in. Kenyon tore it open, read it, and then tossed it across the table to Wentworth.
Wentworth saw the name of their firm of solicitors at the top of the letter-paper. Then he read:
"DEAR SIR,
"You have doubtless seen the article in the _Financial Field_ of this morning, referring to the Canadian Mica Mining Company. We should be pleased to know what action you intend to take in the matter. We may say that, in justice to our reputation, we can no longer represent your company unless a suit is brought against the paper which contains the article.
"Yours truly,
"W. HAWK."
Wentworth laughed with a certain bitterness.
"Well," he said, "if it has come to such a pa.s.s that Hawk fears for his reputation, the sooner we begin a libel suit against the paper the better!"
"Perhaps," said John, with a look of agony on his face, "you will tell me where the money is to come from. The moment we get into the Law Courts money will simply flow like water, and doubtless the _Financial Field_ has plenty of it. It will add to their reputation, and they will make a boast that they are fighting the battle of the investor in London.
Everything is grist that comes to their mill. Meanwhile, we shall be paying out money, or we shall be at a tremendous disadvantage, and the result of it all will probably be a disagreement of the jury and practical ruin for us. You see, I have no witnesses."
"Yes, but what about the mine? How can we go on without vindicating ourselves?"
Before anything further could be said, young Mr. Longworth came in, looking as cool, calm, and unruffled as if there were no such things in the world as financial newspapers.
"Discussing it, I see," were his first words.
"Yes," said Wentworth; "I am very glad you have come. We have a little difference of opinion in the matter of that article. Kenyon here is averse to suing that paper for libel; I am in favour of prosecuting it.
Now, what do _you_ say?"
"My dear fellow," replied Longworth, "I am delighted to be able to agree with Mr. Kenyon for once. Sue them! Why, of course not. That is just what they want."
"But," said Wentworth, "if we do not, who is going to look at our mine?"
"Exactly the same number of people as would look at it before the article appeared."
"Don"t you think it will have any effect?"
"Not the slightest."
"But look at this letter from your own lawyers on the subject." Wentworth handed Longworth the letter from Hawk. Longworth adjusted his gla.s.s and read it carefully through.