"Go to the devil, Joe," said Arthur, smiling, suddenly able to smile, at the Demon of Stagnation as represented by his empty table. "Have a cigarette?"
"The subject of my call demands a pipe," and he proceeded to light one. "Have you got any money, Arthur?"
"I think you're roughly acquainted with the extent of my princely income."
"Income isn't money. Capital is. Turn your income into capital, and you've got money!"
"It sounds delightfully simple, and must work well for a time, Joe."
"I've got a real good thing. No difficulty, no risk well, none to speak of. I thought you might like to consider it. I'm letting my friends have the first chance."
"What is it? Gold, rubber, or a new fastener for umbrellas?" Arthur was not a stranger to Joe's variegated ventures.
"It's a deal safer than any of those. Did you ever see Help Me Out Quickly ?"
"Yes. I saw it at Worcester once. Quite funny!"
"Well, a fellow who put five hundred into Help Me Out Quickly drew seventeen thousand in eighteen months and is living on it still. Arthur, I've found a farce compared to which Help Me Out Quickly is like the Dead March in Saul played by the vicar's wife on a harmonium."
"And you want money to produce it?"
"That's the idea. Two thousand or, if possible, two thousand five hundred. We could get the Burlington in the autumn first-rate theatre. Lots of fun, and mints of money! The thing only wants seeing, doesn't it?"
"What's the use of talking to me, Joe? I haven't got "
"We're all of us going in quite a family affair! Raymond's in it, and old Pa Sarradet has put a bit in for Marie. And Mildred's governor has come in; and Amabel has begged a pony of her governor, and put it in just for a lark, you know. I'm in shirt, and boots, and all. We're all in well, except Sidney. That chap's got no spunk."
The inference about Arthur, if he did not "come in," was sadly obvious to himself, though Joe had not in the least meant to convey it. But that did not much affect him. The idea itself filled him with a sudden, a delicious, tingle of excitement. Lots of fun and mints of money! Could there be a programme more attractive? Vacancy and Stagnation could not live in the presence of that.
"Just for curiosity how much more do you want, to
make it up?" asked Arthur.
"A thousand." Joe laughed. "Oh, I'm not asking you to put down all that. Just what you like. Only the more that goes in, the more comes out." He laughed again joyfully; his prophetic eyes were already beholding the stream of gold; he seemed to dip that beak of his in it and to drink deep.
Arthur knew what his income was only too well also what was his present balance at the bank. But, of course, his balance at the bank (twenty-six pounds odd) had nothing to do with the matter. His mind ran back to Help Me Out Quickly . How Mother, and Anna, and he had laughed over it at Worcester! One or two of the "gags" in it were household words among them at Malvern to this day. Now Joe's farce was much, much funnier than Help Me Out Quickly .
"I know just the girl for it too," said Joe. "Quite young, awfully pretty, and a discovery of my own."
"Who is she?"
Joe looked apologetic. "Awfully sorry, old fellow, but the fact is we're keeping that to ourselves for the present. Of course, if you came in, it'd be different."
The Law Reports still lay on the floor; Joe Halliday sat on the table Sacred Love and Profane, Stern Duty and Alluring Venture.
"I'm putting up five hundred. Be a sport, and cover it!" said Joe.
Something in Arthur Lisle leapt to a tremendous decision a wild throw with Fortune. "You can put me down for the thousand you want, Joe," he said in quite a calm voice.
"Christopher!" Joe ejaculated in amazed admiration. Then a scruple, a twinge of remorse, seized him for a moment. "That's pretty steep, old chap and nothing's an absolute cert!" Temperament triumphed. "Though if there's one on God's earth we've got it!"
"In for a penny, in for a pound! Nothing venture, nothing have!" cried Arthur, feeling wonderfully gleeful.
"But, I say, wouldn't you like to read it first?" Conscience's expiring spark!
"I'd sooner trust your opinion than my own. I may read it later on, but I'll put down my money first."
"Well, I call you a sport!" Joe was moved and put out his hand. "Well, here's luck to us!"
Arthur had plunged into deep water, but it did not feel cold. He suffered no reaction of fear or remorse. He was buoyant of spirit. Life was alive again.
"Of course I shall have to sell out. I haven't the cash by me," he said, smiling at the idea. The cash by him indeed! The cash that ought to keep him, if need be, for six or seven years, pretty near a quarter of all he had in the world, representing the like important fraction of his already inadequate income. Why, now the income would be hopelessly inadequate! His mind was moving quickly. What's the use of trying to live on an inadequate income? While Joe was yet in the room, Arthur formed another resolution to realise and spend, besides Joe's thousand (as his thoughts called it), another five hundred pounds of his money. "By the time that's gone," said the rapidly moving mind, "either I shall have made something or I shall have to chuck this and thank heaven for it!"