Page:Robert Barr - Lord Stranleigh Philanthropist.djvu/309

 and honesty I have complete confidence, and he happens to be in Brazil at the present moment. Are you in a hurry about this company-forming, Baroness?"

"Why, of course, I should like to get the money as soon as possible, so that I may return to Vienna. If all you fear is that those who subscribe to the company will lose their money, I can quite readily make their position sure by placing all my other estates at your disposal as a guarantee against loss."

Stranleigh thought this offer showed she was not much of a business woman after all, for if her estates were already mortgaged up to the hilt, they would form but indifferent security. However, her proposal appeared to him an evidence of good faith.

"There is no necessity of doing that," he said. "It would merely complicate matters. I'd rather go into this plan on its own merits. There need not be much delay. I'll send a couple of engineers over at my own risk. If their report on the property is favourable, well and good; there will be no difficulty in finding the money. If unfavourable, then it would be undesirable to go further into the matter."

"Ah, but if unfavourable, how could I then