But Moxon, without much sounding, entered
into the scheme readily; actually and with
some eagerness proposed the thing himself.
There was great excitement at the office when
Mr. Tillotson announced this simple result.

"I always told you," said Mr. Bowater,
"that there was a latent fund of diplomacy in
Tillotson. He'll checkmate us all round one of
these days."

Mr. Tillotson, however, disclaimed all these
compliments, and told exactly how the matter
was. But Mr. Bowater shook his head.

"Of course, of course! Always the way.
You clever diplomatists never admit you are
clever."

It seemed, indeed, likely to become only too
simple. The failing office was eager to clutch
at this chance of safety, and amalgamate on
handsome terms.

"You see," said Mr. Bowater, " it is now
merely a matter of detail."

They were sitting one morning arranging this
mere matter of "detail," when the secretary
burst in, in a strange state of excitement. " I
knew it," he said. " I had a presentiment of
this. It is all up."

"What do you mean?" said Mr. Bowater,
aghast.

"All up," continued the other, " and infernal
shabby too. The General has got at them."

Mr. Bowater fell back in his chair. " That
rascal Dundee!" he said.

But the secretary, Woods Marshall, was
foremost as a sort of intriguing demon. " Dundee?"
he said. " Nonsense! He hasn't ' gumption '
for such a thing. It is all that crawling,
creeping, mean fellow, Woods Marshall. I knew
he would poke himself into this."

"I thought, Tillotson," said Mr. Bowater, a
little reproachfully, "you would have looked to
all this.'

"That scoundrel!" said the secretary, thinking
of the other secretary.

It was, indeed, true. The General Finance
had hunted out their secret, and the London
Loan, like a passée coquette, stood simpering
and ogling her two financial admirers. An air
of despondency fell on the board. " We must
begin all again," said one.

"No use in that" said Mr. Bowater,
hopelessly. " It comes to a mere matter of bidding.
Those rascals will outbid us, out of mere
spite."

Mr. Tillotson's eyes were kindling. He felt
a sort of spirit rising within him. " As I have
undertaken this matter," he said, " I will carry
it through. All I ask is a week. Will you give
me a week?"

"Certainly, my dear friend," said the chairman.
"And you'll do it too, Tillotson. I am
very glad to hear you take this tone. Very."

"That scoundrel!" muttered the secretary,
whose thoughts were far away.

Mr. Tillotson went home. Another man
would have tried all manner of little intrigues
in the business. But that was not his character.
He took astraighter road; skilfully planned, but
not underhand. He shut himself up into his
little council-room to think. Before an hour was
out he had mapped out a whole plan. The
policy he saw at once was a " waiting" and
"indifferent " one. To thiis, too, he was drawn by
the reflection that a bargain based on
"outbidding" and competition would be injurious,
and that the business of the London Loan was
not worth any serious sacrifice. Next day,
therefore, when he saw Mr. Moxon, who came
to him himself, with a mixed air of sham regret
and complacency, to tell him that they had
received proposals from another office " of very
high standing," Mr. Tillotson told him quietly
that they withdrew for the present. "But,"
added he, with an earnestness that was quite
natural, " if you should break off with them,
we shall be glad to renew negotiations."

Mr. Moxon was taken a little " aback," and
went his way wondering. He saw that his
policy was to close at once with the other office.
But Woods Marshall, mystified at first by this
eagerness, held back a little, for one of the
principles that guided Woods Marshall's office
life was, " whenever you see a man, eager, always
suspect something; and in a day or two, by his
private inquiries, had discovered that the
Foncier had " drawn off." Thus, as a matter of
course, was laid the basis of all the formal
coquetting of diplomacy, a studied inaction and
indifference, producing an artificial and
simulated coldness, and almost resentment, which in
its turn brought on a renewed intercourse. And
all this time—it spread over some weeks—Mr.
Tillotson and his house " lay by," waiting the
proper moment which he knew would surely
come.

He was wholly absorbed in it. He was almost
in a state of feverish anxiety. A few months
before he could not have believed that he could
have taken such an interest in mortal
concerns. But it was something, and took off his
thoughts.

More than a fortnight had gone by, and then
Mr. Bowater and his secretary began to have
forebodings. " I think, Tillotson," he said,
"this is going too far. They are beginning to
take us at our word. I have great confidence
in your clearness of vision, but still I
think——"

"I agree with Mr. Bowater," said the secretary,"
and really, if that scoundrel Woods was
to get through this, it would be outrageous.
We might as well shut up. It is disreputable
that a rascal of that sort——"

As another and another day went by, they
grew more pressing. At last a rumour reached
the office that all had been concluded, and that
the business of the London Loan had been
finally transferred. At this piece of news all
confidence in their envoy seemed to be lost.

"We had better take the matter up ourselves,
Tillotson," said Mr. Bowater. "You were a
little out, you see. I told you so. The best
judgment among us may go astray. I am sorry
about this, for here is a fine chance thrown
away. We rested entirely on you."