"Oh, you mean commercially?
Not in the slightest.

Much less valuable than, let us say, ordinary mud or clay.
In fact, it is absolutely good for nothing." They were silent for a moment, watching the blue flames above the brazier.
Then Gildas spoke again.

"Oddly enough," he said, "the first set of samples were undoubtedly pure gold--not the faintest doubt of that.
That is the really interesting part of the matter.

These gentlemen concerned in the enterprise will, of course, lose their money, and I shall therefore decline to accept the very handsome fee which they had offered me for my services.

But the main feature, the real point of interest in this matter remains.