Traffic Electrical gave up trying to finance it over two years ago.
Since then these two engineers have had it, but until this suggestion in regard to Cowperwood came up, I’m sure they never had a bid of any kind.
Besides, they’re not railroad men, and unless they find a man with as much money as Cowperwood has, I doubt if they’ll ever be able to put it through.”
“Well, then, there’s no use worrying about them, is there?” commented Jarkins.
“I think not,” reiterated Kloorfain.
“But I think we ought to look up some of the people connected with the two old central loop lines, the District and the Metropolitan, or some of the bankers down in Threadneedle Street, and see what we can find out.
You know Crawshaw, of Crawshaw and Vokes.
They’ve been trying to find money for Greaves and Henshaw ever since they took over the option.
Of course, they’ve failed, just as the Traffic Electrical crowd failed before them.
They want too much.”
“Traffic Electrical?” queried Jarkins.
“That’s the company that had this line originally.
What sort of people are they?”
At once, and quite briskly, Kloorfain recalled a number of things in connection with them, not all that Sippens had discovered, but enough to interest both men.
For now, emerging out of the pool of Kloorfain’s memories came Stane, Rider, Bullock, and Johnson, but more particularly Johnson and Stane.
They had been among the principal promoters of Charing Cross and Kampstead, Stane was of the nobility and a large stockholder in District as well as City and South London.
Johnson was counsel for Stane, as well as for District and Metropolitan, and also a stockholder in both lines.
Well, why not try and see this man Johnson?” queried Jarkins, all ears and attention because of his rift with Cowperwood.
“He must be pretty well informed on all that’s going on.”
Kloorfain was standing at a window, looking down into the street.
“Capital!” he exclaimed, turning around to face Jarkins.
“The very idea!
Why not?
Only . . .” And now he paused and looked dubiously at Jarkins.
“Is this all quite ethical?
As I understand it, we haven’t the right to say we represent Cowperwood.
From what you say he only agreed to hear Greaves and Henshaw in New York because we asked him to.
He didn’t appoint us to do any work in connection with them.”
“Well, anyhow, I think it might be a good thing to sound out this fellow Johnson,” returned Jarkins, “indicate to him that Cowperwood, or some American millionaire that he know, is interested in a plan to unite some of these lines, and then suggest that the Charing Cross line, if they could get it back, might be sold to him.
In that case, as the agents bringing them together, we ought to come in for a pretty neat bonus, and we’d be entitled to it.
Besides, if any shares can be picked up now or sold for them or Cowperwood, we might come in as purchasing or selling agents.
Why not?”
“Not a bad idea,” said Kloorfain, becoming more eager.
“I’ll see if I can get him on the telephone.”
He lumbered into an inner office, and was about to make the call when he stopped and looked at Jarkins.
“The simplest way, I think, is to ask for a consultation in connection with a financial problem which is before us but which cannot be explained over the telephone.
He’ll think there’s a fee in it for him, and we’ll just let him think so until we explain what it is.”
“Good!” said Jarkins.
“Let’s call him now.”
So, after a very cautious explanation by Kloorfain to Johnson over the telephone, he turned and said:
“He says he’ll see us tomorrow at eleven o’clock.”
“Capital!” exclaimed Jarkins.
“I think we’re on the right track now.
Anyway, we’re moving.
And if he isn’t interested himself, he may know someone who is.”
“Quite right, quite right,” repeated Kloorfain, who was mainly concerned at this time to see that due credit for his share of all this fell to him.
“I’m glad I thought of him.
This may turn out to be the biggest thing we’ve ever done.”
“Quite right, quite right!” echoed Jarkins, who was elated enough, but not as elated as he would have been had the whole problem been worked out by himself.
For Jarkins had always thought of himself as not only the brains but the dynamic force of this combination.