Part 35 (1/2)
”Yes. I came to raise a million dollars for some improvements I want to make.”
”Let me lend it to you,” she proposed eagerly.
”That would be a good one. I'm going to use it to fight the Consolidated. Since you are now its chief stockholder you would be letting me have money with which to fight you.”
”I shouldn't care about that. I hope you beat me.”
”You're my enemy now. That's not the way to talk.” His eyes twinkled merrily.
”Am I your enemy? Let's be friendly enemies, then. And there's something I want to talk to you about. Before he died Mr. Harley told me he had made you an offer. I didn't understand the details, but you were to be in charge of all the copper-mines in the country. Wasn't that it?”
”Something of that sort. I declined the proposition.”
”I want you to take it now and manage everything for me. I don't know Mr. Harley's a.s.sociates, but I can trust you. You can arrange it any way you like, but I want to feel that you have the responsibility.”
He saw again that vision of power--all the copper interests of the country pooled, with himself at the head of the combination. He knew it would not be so easy to arrange as she thought, for, though she had inherited Harley's wealth, she had not taken over his prestige and force. There would be other candidates for leaders.h.i.+p. But if he managed her campaign Aline's great wealth must turn the scale in their favor.
”You must think this over again. You must talk it over with your advisers before we come to a decision,” he said gravely.
”I've told Mr. Jarmyn. He says the idea is utterly impossible. But we'll show him, won't we? It's my money and my stock, not his. I don't see why he should dictate. He's always 'My dear ladying' me. I won't have it,” she pouted.
The fighting gleam was in Ridgway's eyes now. ”So Mr. Jannyn thinks it is impossible, does he?”
”That's what he said. He thinks you wouldn't do at all.”
”If you really mean it we'll show him about that.”
She shook hands with him on it.
”You're very good to me,” she said, so naively that he could not keep back his smile.
”Most people would say I was very good to myself. What you offer me is a thing I might have fought for all my life and never won.”
”Then I'm glad if it pleases you. That's enough about business. Now, we'll talk about something important.”
He could think of only one thing more important to him than this, but it appeared she meant plans to see as much as possible of him while he was in the city.
”I suppose you have any number of other friends here that will want you?” she said.
”They can't have me if this friend wants me,” he answered, with that deep glow in his eyes she recognized from of old; and before she could summon her reserves of defense he asked: ”Do you want me, Aline?”
His meaning came to her with a kind of sweet shame. ”No, no, no--not yet,” she cried.
”Dear,” he answered, taking her little hand in his big one, ”only this now: that I can't help wanting to be near you to comfort you, because I love you. For everything else, I am content to wait.”
”And I love you,” the girl-widow answered, a flush dyeing her cheeks.
”But I ought not to tell you yet, ought I?”
There was that in her radiant tear-dewed eyes that stirred the deepest stores of tenderness in the man. His finer instincts, vandal and pagan though he was, responded to it.