Dredlinton sank into Phipps' vacated chair and leaned back with his hands in his trousers pockets.

He had the air of a man fortified by a certain amount of bravado,--stimulated by some evil purpose.
"So you don't want to sell those shares, Mr.Wingate ?" "I have decided not to," was the calm reply.
"Any particular reason ?" "None," Wingate acknowledged, "except that I am not very anxious to have any business relations with Mr.Phipps." "And for the sake of that prejudice," Dredlinton observed, "you can afford to refuse such a profit as he offered you ?" "I have other reasons for not wishing to sell," Wingate declared.

"I have a very high opinion of Mr.Phipps' judgment as a business man.

If the shares are worth so much as that to him, they are probably worth the same amount for me to keep." Lord Dredlinton shook his head.
"Quite a fallacy, Wingate," he pronounced.

"Phipps, as a matter of fact, is offering you considerably more than the shares are worth, because with their help he means to bring off a big thing." "If he relies upon my shares," was the indifferent reply, "I am afraid the big thing won't come off." "You won't sell, then ?" "No!" Lord Dredlinton glanced for a moment at his finger nails.