[Pg 85] [Pg 85] Dauncey shrugged his shoulders. “Perhaps so,” he agreed. “I don’t suppose I should like her any better if she came and ate out of your hand.” “You must admit that she shows a fine, independent spirit,” Jacob insisted. “Bultiwell obstinacy, I call it!” Jacob knocked the ash from his cigar. “Dick,” he asked quietly, “is there any sense in two men arguing about a girl, when one is in love with her and the other isn’t?” “None at all,” Dauncey agreed. “Then shut up and tell me what horrible tragedy you’ve stumbled upon. You’ve something to say to me, haven’t you?” Dauncey nodded. “It’s about Montague and Littleham. I have discovered the fly in the ointment. I thought those two would never be content with a reasonable land speculation.” “Proceed,” Jacob said encouragingly. “Most of the idiots who bought these plots of land,” Dauncey continued, “were content to know that the Cropstone Wood, Water and Electric Light Company was in existence and had commenced the work of connecting them up. Not one of them had the sense to find out what they were going to pay for their water and lighting.” “Ah!” [Pg 86] [Pg 86] “I’ve just discovered,” Dauncey continued, “that Dane Montague and Littleham have an option on the Water and Electric Light Company. I don’t suppose they said a word to you about that. You found the money to buy the land, all right, but they’re going to make the bulk of the profit out of the water and lighting. That young lawyer at Cropstone gave us a word of warning, you remember, the day we were over there.” “So he did,” Jacob murmured reflectively. “I was a mug.”
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