Stopped on the Long Stretch by John Arthur Barry

-"No, Frank, I've quite made up my mind! No more of these pettifogging little affairs! We've over £5,000 to our credit now. Let us turn it into £100,000. And the ridiculous simplicity of the thing! Why, as they say over yonder, it's as easy as falling off a log. The only wonder is that it's never been tackled before!"

And the speaker, a tall, dark, handsome man, looked inquiringly at his companion and brother. Frank Maitland, also tall, but not so dark as Charles, who was almost swarthy, for a minute or two puffed slowly at his cigar without answering.