On Saturday the second of May in the morning, in one of the upper rooms of the Great House, there was a meeting of the three chief business members of the Warleggan family. Mr. Nicholas Warleggan, large and deliberate and hard, sat with his back to the window in a fine Sheraton armchair; Mr. George Warleggan lounged by the fireplace, tapping occasionally with his stick at the plaster ornamentations; Mr. Cary Warleggan occupied the table, looking over some papers and breathing through his nose.
Cary said, “There’s little from Trevaunance. There was no official ceremony, according to Smith. At noon, Sir John Trevaunance and Captain Poldark and Mr. Tonkin went down to the works, Sir John said a few words, and the workmen lit up the furnaces. Then the three gentlemen went into one of the tin huts that have been set up, drank each other’s health, and went home.”
Mr. Warleggan said, “How is it situated, this works?”
“Very convenient. At high tide a brig can come into Trevaunance Cove and edge right alongside the quay, and the coal is unloaded beside the furnaces.”
George lowered his stick. “What are they doing for rolling and cutting?”
“At present they’ve come to an agreement with the venturers of Wheal Radiant for the use of their rolling and battery mill. That is about three miles away.”
“Wheal Radiant,” said George thoughtfully. “Wheal Radiant.”
“And what of the ticketing?” asked Mr. Warleggan.
Cary rustled his papers.
“Blight tells me the meeting was very crowded. That was to be expected, for the news has gotten around. Things went much as planned and the Carnmore Company got no copper at all. The high prices of course pleased the mines. It all passed off very quiet.”
George said, “They bought enough last time to keep them going three months. It is when they begin to run short that we shall have the fireworks.”
“After the ticketing,” Cary said, “Tremail discreetly sounded Martin on his loyalty to the company. However, Martin became very unpleasant and the conversation had to be broken off.”
Mr. Nicholas Warleggan got up. “I don’t know if you are party to this, George, but if so it is not a departure that I view with any pleasure. I have been in business for forty years, and much if not all you have been able to do has been built on the foundations laid by me. Well, our bank, our foundry, our mills have been raised on principles of sound business and honest trading. We have that reputation and I am proud of it. By all means fight the Carnmore Copper Company with the legitimate means to hand. I have every intention of putting them out of business. But I do not think we need to descend to such measures to gain our end.”
Having said so much, Mr. Warleggan turned his back and stared out over the lawns and the river. Cary sorted his papers. George traced the moldings with the point of his stick.
Cary said, “This absurd secrecy is no better than a sharp practice, contrived to mislead and confuse.”
“I do not think we can hold that against them,” Mr. Warleggan said ponderously. “They have as much right as we have to use agents and figureheads.”
Cary breathed through his nose. “What does George say?”
George took out his lace handkerchief and flicked away a little plaster that had floated down upon his knee. “I was thinking. Isn’t Jonathan Tresidder the chief shareholder in Wheal Radiant?”
“I believe so. What of it?”
“Well, does he not bank with us?”
“Yes.”
“And has some money on loan. I think it could be made clear to him that he should choose which side of the fence he wishes to come down on. If he helps the Carnmore with his mill let him go elsewhere for his credit. We can’t be expected to subsidize our competitors.”
Cary said rather sarcastically, “And what does Nicholas think of that?”
The old man by the window clasped his hands but did not turn. “I think if it were gone about straightforwardly, it could be considered a legitimate business move.”
“It’s certainly no worse than the way you treated the owners of the paper mills at Penryn,” Cary said.
Mr. Warleggan frowned. “They were holding up all our projects. Expediency will often justify severity.”
George coughed. “For my part,” he said, “although I don’t condemn these maneuvers of Cary’s—they’re too unimportant to concern us much—yet I’m inclined to agree with you, Father, that we’re too big to stoop to them. Let’s defeat this company by fair means.”
“Fair means,” said Cary.
“Well, business means. We’ll have all the smelters and merchants backing us. There should be no difficulty in squeezing these interlopers out once we know who they are—”
“Exactly,” said Cary.
“And we shall know, never fear. Don’t tell me a secret can be kept for very long in these parts. Someone will begin to whisper to someone else. It is just a question of not being too impatient and of knowing enough not to go too far.”
Cary got up. “You mean you wish these inquiries stopped?”
Mr. Warleggan did not speak, but George said, “Well, keep within the limits of dignity. After all, we shall not be ruined even if the company establishes itself.”
“You seem to forget,” Cary said pallidly, “that the man directing this company is the man responsible for Matthew’s disgrace.”
“Matthew got nothing more than he deserved,” said Nicholas. “I was shocked and horrified at the whole thing.”
George rose also, stretching his bull neck and picking up his stick. He ignored his father’s last remark.
“I have forgotten nothing, Cary,” he said.