Then they had been told by ingenuous youths full of the
importance of the information they had just acquired: now they were
told by garrulous old gentlemen, with a cynical laugh which was more
amusing than the hot-headed asseveration of the juniors. It was, on
the whole, a delightful evening, this first evening of his return to
club-life; and then it was so convenient to go up stairs to bed
instead of having to walk from the inn of Eglosilyan to Basset
Cottage.
Just before leaving, the old general took Roscorla aside, and said to
him, "Monstrous amusing fellows, eh?"
"Very."
"Just a word. Don't you let old Lewis lug you into any of his
companies: you understand?"
"There's not much fear of that," Mr. Roscorla said with a laugh. "I
haven't a brass farthing to invest."
"All you West Indians say that: however, so much the better. And
there's old Stratford, too: he's got some infernal India rubber
patent. Gad, sir! he knows no more about those commercial fellows than
the man in the moon; and they'll ruin him--mark my words, they'll ruin
him."
Roscorla was quite pleased to be advised.
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