第1章

THEbattlewasover，andthevictorremainedonthefield——sittingalonewiththehurly-burlyofhisthoughts。

Histriumphwassosweepingandcomprehensiveastobesomewhatshapelesstotheview。Hehadasenseoffascinatedpainwhenhetriedtodefinetohimselfwhatitslimitswouldprobablybe。Vistasofunchecked，expandingconqueststretchedawayineverydirection。

Heheldathismercyeverythingwithinsight。Indeed，itrestedentirelywithhimtosaywhetherthereshouldbeanysuchthingasmercyatall——anduntilhechosetouttertherestrainingwordtheroutofthevanquishedwouldgoonwithmultiplyingterrorsandruin。Hecouldcrushandtortureanddespoilhisenemiesuntilhewastired。

Theresponsibilityofhavingtodecidewhenhewouldstopgrindingtheirfacesmightcometoweighuponhimlateron，buthewouldnotgiveitroominhismindto-night。

Apictureofthesefacesofhisvictimsshapeditselfoutoftheflamesinthegrate。Theyweremouldedinafamilylikeness，thesephantomvisages：theywereallJewish，allmalignant，alldistortedwithfright。

Theyimploredhimwitheyesinwhichpanicasserteditselfaboverageandcunning。Onlyhereandtheredidherecallanamewithwhichtolabeloneofthesecountenances；

veryfewofthemraisedamemoryofindividualrancour。

Thefaceswerethoseofmenhehadseen，nodoubt，buttheirpersecutionofhimhadbeenimpersonal；

hisgreatrevengewasequallyso。Ashelooked，intruth，therewasonlyoneface——acompositemaskofwhathehaddonebattlewith，andoverthrown，andwouldtrampleimplacablyunderfoot。Hestaredwithaconqueror\'scoldfrownatit，andgaveanabruptlaughwhichstartedharshechoesinthestillnessoftheBoardRoom。Thenheshookoffthereverie，andgottohisfeet。Heshiveredalittleatthesuddentouchofachill。

Abottleofbrandy，surroundedbyglasses，stoodonthetablewherethetwoleast-consideredofhislieutenants，thedummyDirectors，hadleftit。Hepouredasmallquantityandsippedit。Duringthewholeeventfuldayithadnotoccurredtohimbeforetodrink；thetasteoftheneatliquorseemedontheinstanttocalmandrefreshhisbrain。

Withmoredeliberation，hetookacigarfromthebroad，floridly-decoratedopenboxbesidethebottle，litit，andblewalongdraughtofsmokethoughtfullythroughhisnostrils。Thenheputhishandsinhispockets，lookedagainintothefire，andsighedawonderingsmile。

Godinheaven！itwasactuallytrue！

Thismanoffortyfoundhimselfflutteringwithanovelexhilaration，whichyetwasnotnovel。Uponreflection，heperceivedthathefeltasifhewereaboyagain——aboyexcitedbypleasure。Itsurprisedasmuchasitdelightedhimtoexperiencethisfrankanddirectjoyofachild。Hecaughttheinklingofanideathatperhapshisyearswereanillusion。Hehadlatterlybeenthinkingofhimselfasmiddle-aged；thegreyhairsthickeningathistempleshadvaguelydepressedhim。

Nowallatoncehesawthathewasnotoldatall。

Thebuoyancyofveritableyouthbubbledinhisveins。

Hebeganwalkingupanddowntheroom，regardingnewhalcyonvisionswithasparklingeye。Hewasnolongerconsciousofthehatedfoebeneathhisfeet；theytrodinsteadelasticupontheclouds。

Thesoundofsomeonemovingaboutinthehallwayoutside，andoftryingadoornearby，suddenlycaughthisattention。

Hestoodstillandlistenedwithalertnessforasurprisedinstant，thenshruggedhisshouldersandbeganmovingagain。

Itmustbenearlyseveno\'clock；althoughtheallotmentworkhadkepttheclerkslaterthanusualthatday，everybodyconnectedwiththeofficeshadcertainlygonehome。

Herealizedthathisnerveshadplayedhimatrickingivingthatalarmedmomentarystart——andsmiledalmosttenderlyasherememberedhownotableandevengloriousawarrantthosenerveshadfortheirunsettledstate。

Theywouldbeallrightafteranight\'srealrest。

HewouldknowhowtosleepNOW，thankGod！

Butyes——therewassomebodyoutside——andthistimeknockingwithassuranceattherightdoor，theentrancetotheouteroffice。Afterasecond\'sconsideration，hewentintothisunlightedouteroffice，andcalledoutthroughtheopaqueglassanenquiry。Thesoundofhisvoice，asitanalyzeditselfinhisownears，seemedundulyperemptory。Theanswerwhichcamebackbroughtaflashofwondermenttohiseyes。Hehurriedlyunlockedandopenedthedoor。

"IsawthelightsinwhatImadeouttobetheBoardRoom，"

saidthenewcomer，asheentered。"Iassumeditmustbeyou。

HopeIdon\'tinterruptanything。"

"Nothingcouldhavegivenmegreaterpleasure，LordPlowden，"

repliedtheother，leadingthewaybacktotheinnerapartment。

"Infact，Icouldn\'thaveaskedanythingbetter。"

Thetoneofhisvoicehadacertainanxiousnoteinitnotquiteinharmonywiththisdeclaration。Heturned，underthedrop-lightoverhangingtheBoard-table，andshookhandswithhisguest，asiftoatoneforthisdoubtfulaccent。

"Ishakehandswithyouagain，"hesaid，speakingrapidly，"becausethisafternoonitwaswhatyoumaycallformal；

itdidn\'tcount。And——myGod！——you\'rethemanIoweitallto。"

"Oh，youmustn\'tgoasfarasthat——evenintheabsenceofwitnesses，"repliedLordPlowden，lightly。"I\'lltakeoffmycoatforafewminutes，"hewenton，verymuchathisease。"It\'shotinhere。It\'sbythemerestchanceIhappenedtobedetainedintheCity——andIsawyourlights，andthisafternoonwehadnoopportunitywhateverforaquiettalk。No——Iwon\'tdrinkanythingbeforedinner，butI\'lllightacigar。Iwanttosaytoyou，Thorpe，"heconcluded，asheseatedhimself"thatIthinkwhatyou\'vedoneisverywonderful。

TheMarquisthinkssotoo——butIshouldn\'tliketoswearthatheunderstandsmuchaboutit。"

Theimplicationthatthespeakerdidunderstandremainedintheairlikeatangibleobject。Thorpetookachair，andthetwomenexchangedasilent，intentlook。

Theirfaces，duskyredonthesideoftheglowfromthefire，pallidwheretheelectriclightfellslantwiseuponthemfromabove，hadforamomentamysterioussomethingincommon。Thenthetensionoftheglancewasrelaxed——andontheinstantnotwomeninLondonlookedlessalike。

LordPlowdenwasfamiliarlyspokenofasahandsomeman。

ThorpehadevenheardhimcalledthehandsomestmaninEngland——thoughthisseemedinalllikelihoodanexaggeration。

Buthandsomeheundoubtedlywas——tallwithoutsuggestingthethoughtofheighttotheobserver，erectyetgraceful，powerfullybuilt，whilepreservingtheeffectofslenderness。

Hisfaceinreposehadtheoutlineofthemoreyouthfulguardsman-type——regular，finely-cut，impassivetohardness。

Whenhetalked，orfollowedwithinterestthetalkofothers，itrevealedalmostanexcessofanimation。

Thenonenotedtheflashingsubtletyofhisglance，theswiftfacilityofhissmileandcomprehendingbrows，andsawthatitwasnottheguardsmanfaceatall。

Hisskinwasfresh-hued，andtherewasashadeofwarmbrowninhissmall，well-orderedmoustasche，buthishair，wavyandwornlongerthanthefashion，seemedblack。

Therewereperceptibleveinsofgreyinit，thoughhehadonlyenteredhisthirty-fifthyear。Hewasdressedhabituallywiththeutmostpossiblecare。

Thecontrastbetweenthispersonageandtheoldermanconfrontinghimwasabrupt。Thorpewasalsotall，butofaburlyandslouchingfigure。Hisface，shroudedinahigh-growing，dust-colouredbeard，invitednoattention。Oneseemedalwaystohaveknownthisface——thick-featured，immobile，undistinguished。

Itsaccessoriesforthetimebeingwereevenmorethanordinarilyunimpressive。Bothhairandbeardwereraggedwithneglect。Hiscommonplace，darkclotheslookedasifhehadsleptinthem。Thehandsrestingonhisbigkneeswerecoarseinshape，androughened，andill-kept。

"Icouldn\'thaveaskedanythingbetterthanyourdroppingin，"herepeatednow，speakingwithadrag，asofcaution，onhiswords。"Witnessesornowitnesses，I\'manxioustohaveyouunderstandthatIrealizewhatIowetoyou。"

"Ionlywishitwereagreatdealmorethanitis，"

repliedtheother，withafranksmile。

"Oh，it\'llmountuptoconsiderable，asitstands，"

saidThorpe。

Hecouldhearthattherewasakindofreservationinhisvoice；thesuspicionthathiscompaniondetecteditembarrassedhim。Hefoundhimselfinthepositionoffencingwithamantowhomallhisfeelingsimpelledhimtobeperfectlyopen。Hepaused，andwasawkwardlyconsciousofconstraintinthesilencewhichensued。

"Youareverykindtoputitinthatway，"saidLordPlowden，atlast。Heseemedalsotobefindingwordsforhisthoughtswithacertaindifficulty。Heturnedhiscigarroundinhiswhitefingersmeditatively。"Igatherthatyoursuccesshasbeencomplete——ascompleteasyouyourselfcouldhavedesired。Icongratulateyouwithallmyheart。"

"No——don\'tsaymysuccess——sayoursuccess，"putinThorpe。

"But，mydearman，"theothercorrectedhim，"myinterest，comparedwithyours，ishardlymorethannominal。

I\'maDirector，ofcourse，andI\'mnotdispleasedthatmyfewsharesshouldbeworthsomethinginsteadofnothing，but——"

Thorpeliftedoneofhisheavyhands。"Thatisn\'tmyviewofthethingatall。Tobefrank，Iwasturningoverinmymind，justawhileago，beforeyoucamein，somewayofarrangingallthatonadifferentfooting。

Ifyou\'lltrustittome，Ithinkyou\'llfindit\'sallright。"

SomethingintheformofthisremarkseemedtorestoretoLordPlowdenhisaccustomedfluencyofspeech。

"Icameheretosaypreciselythatthing，"hebegan——"thatIdotrustittoyou。Wehaveneverhadanyverydefinitetalkonthesubject——andpraydon\'tthinkthatIwanttogointodetailsnow。I\'dmuchrathernot，infact。

ButwhatIdowanttosaytoyouisthis：Ibelieveinyou。Ifeelsurethatyouaregoingtogofar，asthesayingis。Well，Iwanttotiemyselftoyourstar。

DoyouseewhatImean？Youaregoingtobeapowerinfinance。Youaregoingtobeabletomakeandunmakemenasyouchoose。Ishouldbeverymuchobligedindeedifyouwouldmakeme。"

Thorperegardedthehandsomeandtitledmanoffashionwithwhatseemedtotheotheralethargicgaze。Intruth，hismindwastoilingwithstrenuousactivitytomaster，inallitsbearings，thesignificanceofwhathadbeensaid。

Thishabitoftheabstractedandlack-lustreeye，thewhilehewashardatworkthinking，wasafortuitousassetwhichhehadneveruptothattimelearnedthathepossessed。Unconsciously，hedampenedthespiritsofhiscompanion。

"Don\'timagineI\'mtryingtoforcemyselfuponyou，"

LordPlowdensaid，growingcoolinthefaceofthisslowstare。

"I\'maskingnothingatall。Ihadtheimpulsetocomeandsaytoyouthatyouareagreatman，andthatyou\'vedoneagreatthing——anddoneit，moreover，inaverygreatway。"

"Youknowhowitwasdone！"ThewonderingexclamationforceditselffromThorpe\'sunreadylips。Hebentforwardalittle，andtookanewvisualhold，asitwere，ofhiscompanion\'scountenance。

LordPlowdensmiled。"DidyouthinkIwassuchahopelessduffer，then？"herejoined。

Foranswer，Thorpeleantbackinhischair，crossedhislegs，andpattedhiskneecontentedly。Allatoncehisfacehadlightened；agenialspeculationreturnedtohisgreyeyes。

"Well，Iwasinacuriouspositionaboutyou，yousee，"

hebegantoexplain。Thereliefwithwhichhespokewaspalpable。"Icouldnotforthelifeofmemakeupmymindwhethertotellyouaboutitornot。Let\'ssee——thisisThursday；didIseeyouTuesday？Atanyrate，theschemedidn\'tdawnonmemyselfuntiltowardeveningTuesday。

Butyesterday，ofcourse，Icouldhavetoldyou——andagainthisafternoon——but，asIsay，Icouldn\'tmakeupmymind。

OnceIhaditonthetipofmytongue——butsomehowIdidn\'t。

Andyou——younevergavemeahintthatyousawwhatwasgoingon。"

AgainLordPlowdensmiled。"Ivotedwithyou，"heputinsoftly。

Thorpelaughed，andrelithiscigar。"Well，Icouldn\'thaveaskedanythingbetterthanthis，"hedeclaredonceagain。

"Itbeatsalltherestputtogether，tomymind。"

"PerhapsIdon\'tquitefollowyourmeaning，"commentedtheothertentatively。

"Whyman，"Thorpeexplained，hesitatingalittleinhischoiceofwords，butspeakingwithevidentfervour；

"Iwasmoreanxiousaboutyou——andthewayyou\'dtakeit——

thanaboutanythingelse。IgiveyoumywordIwas。

Icouldn\'ttellatallhowyou\'dfeelaboutthething。

Youmightthinkthatitwasallright，andthenagainyoumightroundonme——orno，Idon\'tmeanquitethat——

butyoumightsayitwasn\'tgoodenoughforyou，andwashyourhandsofthewholeaffair。AndIcan\'ttellyouwhatareliefitistofindthatyou——thatyou\'resatisfied。

NowIcangoahead。"

"Ah，yes——ahead，"saidtheyoungerman，thoughtfully。

"Doyoumindtellingme——youseeI\'mquiteinthedarkastodetails——howmuchfurtheraheadwearelikelytogo？Icomprehendthegeneralnatureofouradvance——

buthowfaroffisthegoalyouhaveinsight？"

"Godknows！"answeredThorpe，witharisingthrillofexcitementinhisvoice。"Idon\'tgiveitanylimit。

Idon\'tseewhyweshouldstopatall。We\'vegottheminsuchapositionthat——why，goodheavens！wecansqueezethemtodeath，crushthemlikequartz。"

Hechuckledgrimlyatthesuggestionofhissimile。

"We\'llgetmoreouncestothetonoutofourcrushingsthantheyeverheardofontheRand，too。"

"MightIask，"interposedtheother，"whomay\'they\'be？"

Thorpehesitated，andknittedhisbrowsintheefforttoremembernames。"Oh，therearealotofthem，"

hesaid，vaguely。"IthinkItoldyouofthewaythatKaffircrowdpretendedtothinkwellofme，andletmebelievetheyweregoingtotakemeup，andthen，becauseIwouldn\'tgivethemeverything——theveryshirtoffmyback——turnedandputtheirknifeintome。

Idon\'tknowthemapart，hardly——they\'veallgotnameslikeRhinewines——butIknowthegangasawhole，andifI

don\'tlifttheroofcleanofftheirparticularsynagogue，thenmynameismud。"

LordPlowdensmiled。"I\'vealwaysthegreatestdifficultytorememberthatyouareanEnglishman——aLondonerborn，"

hedeclaredpleasantly。"Youdon\'ttalkintheleastlikeone。OnshipboardImadesureyouwereanAmerican——averycharacteristicone，Ithought——ofsomecuriousWesternvariety，youknow。Ineverwasmoresurprisedinmylifethanwhenyoutoldme，theotherday，thatyouonlyleftEnglandafewyearsago。"

"Oh，hardlya\'fewyears\'；morelikefifteen，"Thorpecorrectedhim。Hestudiedhiscompanion\'sfacewithslowdeliberation。

"I\'mgoingtosaysomethingthatyoumustn\'ttakeamiss，"

heremarked，afteralittlepause。"Ifyou\'dknownthatI

wasanEnglishman，whenwefirstmet，thereonthesteamer，Ikindo\'suspectthatyouandI\'dneverhavegotmuchbeyondanoddingacquaintance——andeventhatmostlyonmyside。

Idon\'tmeanthatIintendedtoconcealanything——thatis，notspecially——butI\'veoftenthoughtsincethatitwasamightygoodthingIdid。Nowisn\'tthattrue——thatifyouhadtakenmeforoneofyourowncountrymenyou\'dhavegivenmethecoldshoulder？"

"Idaresaythere\'sagooddealinwhatyousay，"

theotheradmitted，gentlyenough，butwithoutcontrition。

"Thingsnaturallyshapethemselvesthatway，rather，youknow。Iftheydidn\'t，whythenthewholepositionwouldbecomedifficult。ButyouareanAmerican，toallintentsandpurposes。"

"Oh，no——Inevertookanysteptowardsgettingnaturalized，"

Thorpeprotested。"Ialwaysintendedtocomebackhere。

Orno，Iwon\'tsaythat——becausemostofthetimeI

wasdog-poor——andthisisn\'ttheplaceforapoorman。

ButIalwayssaidtomyselfthatifeverIpulleditoff——ifIeverfoundmyselfarichman——THENI\'dcomepikingacrosstheAtlanticasfastastriple-expansionengineswouldcarryme。"

Theyoungmansmiledagain，withawhimsicalgleaminhiseye。"AndyouAREarichman，now，"heobserved，afteramomentarypause。

"Wearebothrichmen，"repliedThorpe，gravely。

Heheldupadissuadinghand，astheotherwouldhavespoken。

"Thisishowitseemstomethethingfiguresitselfout：

Itcan\'tbesaidthatyournameontheBoard，ortheMarquis\'seither，wasofmuchusesofarasthepublicwereconcerned。Totellthetruth，Isawsometimeagothattheywouldn\'tbe。TitlesonprospectusesareplayedoutinLondon。I\'veratheranotion，indeed，thatthey\'reapttodomoreharmthangood——justatpresent，atleast。

Butallthataside——youarethemanwhowasciviltomeatthestart，whenyouknewnothingwhateveraboutmyscheme，andyouarethemanwhowasgoodtomelateron，whenIdidn\'tknowwheretoturnforafriendlyword。

Verywell；hereIam！I\'vemademycoup！AndI\'dbeasweep，wouldn\'tI？toforgetto-daywhatIwassogladtorememberaweekago。Butyousee，Idon\'tforget！ThecapitaloftheCompanyis500，000pounds，allinpoundshares。

Weofferedthepubliconlyafifthofthem。Theotherfourhundredthousandsharesaremineasvendor——andI

haveear-markedinmymindonehundredthousandofthemtobeyours。"

LordPlowden\'sfacepaledatthesignificanceofthesewords。

"Itistoomuch——youdon\'treflectwhatitisyouaresaying，"hemurmuredconfusedly。"Notabitofit，"

theotherreassuredhim。"EverythingthatI\'vesaidgoes。"

Thepeer，tremblingalittle，rosetohisfeet。"Itisapreposterouslybigrewardforthemerestactofcourtesy，"

heinsisted。"Ofcourseittakesmybreathawayforjoy——andyetIfeelIoughtn\'ttobeconsentingtoitatall。

Andithasitsunpleasantside——itburiesmeunderamountainofobligation。Idon\'tknowwhattodoorwhattosay。"

"Well，leavethesayinganddoingtome，then，"repliedThorpe，withagesturebeforewhichtheotherresumedhisseat。

"Justawordmore——andthenIsupposewe\'dbetterbegoing。

Lookatitinthisway。YourgrandfatherwasLordChancellorofEngland，andyourfatherwasaGeneralintheCrimea。Mygrandfatherkeptasmallsecond-handbook-shop，andmyfatherfollowedhiminthebusiness。

Inonesense，thatputsustenthousandmilesapart。

Butinanothersense，we\'llsaythatwelikeeachother，andthattherearewaysinwhichwecanbeofimmenseusetoeachother，andthatbringsusclosetogether。

Youneedmoney——andhereitisforyou。Ineed——whatshallIsay？——akindoffriendlyleadinthematterofestablishingmyselfontherightfooting，amongtherightpeople——andthat\'swhatyoucandoforme。

Mind——I\'dprefertoputitallinquiteanotherway；

I\'dliketosayitwasallnicenessonyourpart，allgratitudeonmine。Butifyouwanttoconsideritonabusinessbasis——whythereyouhaveitalso——perfectlyplainandclear。"

Hegotupashefinished，andLordPlowdenroseaswell。

Thetwomenshookhandsinsilence。

Whenthelatterspoke，itwastosay："Doyouknowhowtoopenoneofthosesoda-waterbottles？I\'vetried，butIcannevergetthetrick。IthinkIshouldliketohaveadrink——afterthis。"

Whentheyhadputdowntheirglasses，andtheyoungermanwasgettingintohisgreat-coat，Thorpebestowedthebrandyandcigarswithinacabinetatthecorneroftheroom，andcarefullyturnedakeyuponthem。

"Ifyou\'regoingWest，letmegiveyoualift，"

saidLordPlowden，hatinhand。"Icansetyoudownwhereveryoulike。UnfortunatelyI\'vetogoouttodinner，andImustrace，asitis，togetdressed。"

Thorpeshookhishead。"No，goalong，"hebadehim。

"I\'vesomeoddsandendsofthingstodoontheway。"

"ThenwhenshallIseeyou？"——begantheother，andhaltedsuddenlywithanewthoughtinhisglance。"ButwhatareyoudoingSaturday？"heasked，inabriskertone。

"It\'sadiesnonhere。Comedownwithmeto-morrowevening，tomyplaceinKent。WewillshootonSaturday，anddriveaboutonSunday，ifyoulike——andtherewecantalkatourleisure。Yes，thatiswhatyoumustdo。

Ihaveagunforyou。Shallwesay，then——CharingCrossat9：55？Orbetterstill，say5：15，andwewilldineathome。"

Theeldermanponderedhisanswer——frowningattheproblembeforehimwithvisibleanxiety。"I\'mafraidI\'dbetternotcome——it\'sverygoodofyouallthesame。"

"Nonsense，"retortedtheother。"Mymotherwillbeverygladindeedtoseeyou。Thereisnooneelsethere——unless，perhaps，mysisterhassomefrienddown。

Weshallmakeapurelyfamilyparty。"

Thorpehesitatedforonlyafurthersecond。"Allright。

CharingCross，5：15，"hesaidthen，withthegravebrevityofonewhoannouncesamomentousdecision。

Hestoodstill，lookingintothefire，forafewmomentsafterhiscompanionhadgone。Then，goingtoaclosetattheendoftheroom，hebroughtforthhiscoatandhat；

somethingpromptedhimtoholdthemup，andscrutinizethemunderthebrightlightoftheelectricglobe。Heputthemon，then，withasmile，half-scornful，half-amused，playinginhisbeard。

ThetouchofabuttonprecipitateddarknessupontheBoardRoom。

Hemadehiswayout，anddownstairstothestreet。

Itwasarainy，windyOctobernight，sloppyunderfoot，drippingoverhead。Atthecornerbeforehim，acabman，motionlessunderhisunshapelycoveredhatandglisteningrubbercape，satperchedaloftonhisseat，apparentlyasleep。

Thorpehailedhim，withaperemptorytone，andgavethebrusqueorder，"Strand！"asheclamberedintothehansom。

CHAPTERII

"LOUISA，thelongandshortofitisthis，"saidThorpe，halfanhourlater："youneverdidbelieveinme，asasistershoulddo。"

Hewasseatedalonewiththissister，inasmall，low，ratherdismally-appointedroom，half-heartedlylightedbytwoflickeringgasjets。Theysatsomewhatapart，confrontingafireplace，whereonlythelaidmaterialsforafiredisclosedthemselvesinthecoldgrate。Abovethemantelhunganenlargedphotographofascowlingoldman。

Thorpe\'sgazerecurredautomaticallyatbriefintervalstothisportrait——whichsomehowproducedtheeffectuponhimofresponsibilityforthecheerlessnessoftheroom。

Therewereotherpicturesonthewallsofwhichhewasdimlyconscious——small，faded，oldprintsaboutDidoandAEneasandAgamemnon，whichseemedtobecomingbacktohimoutofthemistsofhischildhood。

Vagrantimpressionsandassociationsofthischildhoodstrayedwithquaintinconsequenceacrossthefieldofhispreoccupiedmind。Thepeculiarodouroftheancientbook-shoponthefloorbelowremainedlikesnuffinhisnostrils。

Somewhereunderneath，orinthewainscotingattheside，hecouldheartheassiduousgnawingofarat。Wasitthesamerat，hewonderedwithamentalgrin，thatusedtokeephimawakenights，inoneoftheroomsnexttothis，withthatsamefoolishnoise，whenhewasaboy？

"Iknowyoualwayssaythat，"repliedLouisa，impassively。

Shewasyearsolderthanherbrother，but，withoutatraceofartificeorintention，contrivedtolooktheyoungerofthetwo。Herthickhair，drawnsimplyfromhertemplesintoaknotbehind，wasofthatpalestbrownwhichassimilatesgrey。Herface，long，plain，masculineincontourandspirit，conveyednomessageastoyears。

Longandspareoffigure，shesatuprightinherstraight-backedchair，withherlarge，capablehandsonherknees。

"Ibelievedinyouasmuchasyou\'dletme，"shewenton，indifferently，almostwearily。"ButIdon\'tseethatitmatteredtoyouwhetherIdidordidn\'t。Youwentyourownway：youdidwhatyouwantedtodo。WhathadItodowithit？Idon\'tsupposeIevenknewwhatpartoftheworldyouwereinmorethanonceintwoorthreeyears。

HowshouldIknowwhetheryouweregoingtosucceed，whenIdidn\'tevenknowwhatitwasyouwereat？Certainlyyouhadn\'tsucceededhereinLondon——butelsewhereyoumightoryoumightnot——howcouldItell？Andmoreover，Idon\'tfeelthatIknowyouverywell；you\'vegrownintosomethingverydifferentfromtheboyJoelthatlefttheshop——itmustbetwentyyearsago。Icanonlyknowaboutyouandyouraffairswhatyoutellme。"

"Butmypointis，"pursuedThorpe，watchingherfacewithacuriouslyintentglance，"youneversaidtoyourself：

\'IKNOWhe\'sgoingtosucceed。IKNOWhe\'llbearichmanbeforehedies。\'"

Sheshookherheaddispassionately。Hermannerexpressedfatiguedfailuretocomprehendwhyhewasmakingsomuchofthispurposelesspoint。

"No——Idon\'tremembereverhavingsaidthattomyself，"

sheadmitted，listlessly。Thenacommentuponhiswordsoccurredtoher，andshespokewithmoreanimation：

"Youdon\'tseemtounderstand，Joel，thatwhatwasveryimportanttoyou，didn\'toccupymeatall。Youwerealwaystalkingaboutgettingrich；youkepttheideabeforeyouofsometime，atastroke，findingyourselfamillionaire。That\'sbeentheideaofyourlife。

ButwhatdoIknowaboutallthat？Myworkhasbeentokeeparoofovermyhead——tokeepthelittlebusinessfromdisappearingaltogether。It\'sbeenhardenough，Icantellyou，theselastfewyears，withthebigjobberscuttingtheheartsoutofthesmalltraders。

Ihadtheinvalidhusbandtosupportforbetweenthreeandfouryears——adeadweightonmeeveryweek——andthenthechildrentolookafter，toclotheandeducate。"

Atthelastwordshehesitatedsuddenly，andlookedathim。"Don\'tthinkI\'mungrateful"——shewenton，withatroubledeffortatasmile——"butIalmostwishyou\'dneversentmethatfourhundredpoundsatall。

Whatitmeansisthatthey\'vehadtwoyearsatschoolswherenowIshan\'tbeabletokeepthemanylonger。

They\'llbespoiledformykindoflife——andtheywon\'thaveafairchanceforanyother。Idon\'tknowwhatwillbecomeofthem。"

Theprofoundapprehensioninthemother\'svoicedidnotdullthegleaminThorpe\'seyes。Heevenbeganasmileintheshadowsofhisunkemptmoustache。

"ButwhenIsentthatmoney，forexample，twoyearsago，andover，"hepersisted，doggedly——"andItoldyouthere\'dbemorewherethatcamefrom，andthatIstoodtopulloffthegreatevent——eventhen，now，youdidn\'tbelieveinyourinnermostheartthatIknewwhatIwastalkingabout，didyou？"

Shefrownedwithimpatienceassheturnedtowardhim。

"Forheaven\'ssake，Joel，"shesaid，sharply——"youbecomeaborewiththatstupidnonsense。Iwanttobepatientwithyou——Idoindeedsympathizewithyouinyourmisfortunes——youknowthatwellenough——butyou\'reverytiresomewiththateternalharpingonwhatIbelievedandwhatIdidn\'tbelieve。Now，areyougoingtostoptosupperornot？——becauseifyouareImustsendthemaidout。

Andthere\'sanotherthing——woulditbeofanyhelptoyoutobringyourthingsherefromthehotel？YoucanhaveAlfred\'sroomaswellasnot——tillChristmas，atleast。"

"SupposingIcouldn\'tgetmyluggageoutofthehoteltillI\'dsettledmybill，"suggestedThorpetentatively，inamuffledvoice。

Thepracticalwomanreflectedforaninstant。

"Iwasthinking，"sheconfessedthen，"thatitmightbecheapertoleaveyourthingsthere，andbuywhatlittleyouwant——Idon\'timagine，fromwhatI\'veseen，thatyourwardrobeissoveryvaluable——butno，Isupposethebilloughttobepaid。Perhapsitcanbemanaged；

howmuchwillitbe？"

Thorpemusinglyrosetohisfeet，andstrolledovertoherchair。Withhisthickhandsonhissister\'sshouldershestoopedandkissedherontheforehead。

"Youbelieveinmenow，anyway，eh，Lou？"hesaid，ashestraightenedhimselfbehindher。

Theunaccustomedcaress——sodifferentincharacterfromtheperfunctorysalutewithwhichhehadgreetedheronhisarrivalfromforeignparts，sixmonthsbefore——

broughtaflushofpleasedsurprisetoherplainface。

Thenakindofbewildermentcreptintotheabstractedgazeshewasbendinguponthefirelessgrate。

Somethingextraordinary，unaccountable，wasinthemannerofherbrother。Sherecalledthat，intruth，hewasmorethanhalfastrangertoher。Howcouldshetellwhatwild，uncannysecondnaturehadnotgrownupinhimunderthoseoutlandishtropicalskies？Hehadjusttoldherthathisruinwasabsolute——overwhelming——yettherehadbeenacovertsmileintherecessesofhisglance。

Evennow，shehalffelt，halfheard，achucklefromhim，thereashestoodbehindher！

Theswiftthoughtthatdisasterhadshakenhisbrainloomedupandpossessedher。Sheflungherselfoutofthechair，and，wheeling，seizeditsbackanddrewitbetweenthemasshefacedhim。Itwaswithastareoffrankdismaythatshebeheldhimgrinningather。

"What"——shebegan，stammering——"Whatisthematter，Joel？"

Hepermittedhimselftheluxuryofsmilingblanklyatherforafurthermoment。Thenhetossedhishead，andlaughedabruptly。

"Sitdown，oldgirl，"headjuredher。"Tryandholdyourselftogether，now——tohearsomedifferentkindofnews。

I\'vebeenplayingitratherlowdownonyou，forafact。

Insteadofmybeingsmashed，it\'stheotherwayabout。"

Shecontinuedtoconfronthim，withanervousclaspuponthechair-back。Herbreathingtroubledherassheregardedhim，andtriedtotakeinthemeaningofhiswords。

"Doyoumean——you\'vebeenlyingtomeabout——aboutyourCompany？"sheasked，confusedly。

"No——no——notatall，"hereplied，nowallgenialheartiness。

"No——whatItoldyouwasgospeltruth——butIwastakingariseoutofyouallthesame。"Heseemedsounaffectedlypleasedbyhisachievementinkindlyduplicitythatsheforcedanawkwardsmiletoherlips。

"Idon\'tunderstandintheleast，"shesaid，strivingtorememberwhathehadtoldher。"Whatyousaidwasthatthepublichadentirelyfailedtocomein——thatthereweren\'tenoughapplicationsforsharestopayflotationexpenses——thosewereyourownwords。Ofcourse，Idon\'tpretendtounderstandtheseCitymatters——butitISthecase，isn\'tit，thatifpeopledon\'tsubscribeforthesharesofanewcompany，thenthecompanyisafailure？"

"Yes，thatmaybesaidtobethecase——asageneralrule，"

henoddedather，stillbeaming。

"Well，then——ofcourse——Idon\'tunderstand，"sheowned。

"Idon\'tknowasyou\'llunderstanditmuchmorewhenI\'veexplainedittoyou，"hesaid，seatinghimself，andmotioninghertotheotherchair。"Butyes，ofcourseyouwill。

You\'reabusinesswoman。Youknowwhatfiguresmean。

AndreallythewholethingisassimpleasABC。YourememberthatItoldyou——"

"Butareyougoingtostoptosupper？ImustsendAnnieoutbeforetheshopsclose。"

"Supper？No——Icouldn\'teatanything。I\'mtooworkedupforthat。I\'llgetsomethingatthehotelbeforeI

gotobed，ifIfeellikeit。Butsay！"——thethoughtsuddenlystruckhim——"ifyouwanttocomeoutwithme，I\'llblowyouofftotheswaggerestdinnerinLondon。

Whatd\'yesay？"

Sheshookherhead。"Ishallhavesomebreadandcheeseandbeeratnine。That\'smyrule，youknow。Idon\'tliketobreakit。I\'malwaysqueernextdayifIdo。

Butnowmakehasteandtellme——you\'rereallynotbrokenthen？Youhavereallycomeoutwell？"

Foranswerherose，anddrewhimselftohisfullheight，andspreadhisbulkyshouldersbackward。Hisgrey-blueeyeslookeddownuponherwithatriumphantglow。

"Broken？"heechoedherword，withemphasis。

"MydearLouisa，I\'mnotthesortthatgetsbroken。

Ibreakotherpeople。Oh，God，howIshallbreakthem！"

Hebeganpacingupanddownonthenarrowrugbeforethefender，excitedlytellinghisstorytoher。

Sometimeshethrewthewordsoverhisshoulder；

againheheldherabsorbedgazewithhis。Hetookhishandsoftenfromhispockets，toillustrateorenforcebygesturesthemeaningofhisspeech——andthenshefounditpeculiarlydifficulttorealizethathewasherbrother。

Muchofthenarrative，ramblinganddisconnected，withwhichheprefacedthisstoryoftheday，wasvaguelyfamiliartoher。Hesketchednowforherinsummary，andwiththesonorousvoiceofonedeeplyimpressedwiththedramaticvaluesofhisdeclamation，thechronicleofhiswanderingsinstrangelands——andthesehehadfrequentlytoldheraboutbefore。Soonsheperceived，however，thathewasstringingthemtogetheronanewthread。

Oneafteranother，theseexperiencesofhis，asherelatedthem，turnedupontheobstaclesandfatalpitfallswhichtreacheryandmalicehadputinhispath。Heseemed，byhisaccount，tohavebeenahundredtimesalmostwithintouchofthegoal。InChina，intheDutchIndies，inthoseremoterpartsofAustraliawhichwereawaterlesswastewhenheknewthemandmighthaveownedthem，andnowwereyieldingfabulousmillionstofellowswhohadtrickedandswindledhim——everywherehehadmissedbyjustahair\'sbreadththegoldenconsummation。

IntheWesternhemispherethetalerepeateditself。

TherehadbeentimesintheArgentine，inBraziljustbeforetheEmpirefell，inColoradowhentheSilverboomwason，inBritishColumbiawhenthefirstrumoursofrichorewerewhisperedabout——manytimeswhenfortuneseemedveritablywithinhisgrasp。Butsomeonehadalwaysplayedhimfalse。Therewasneverafriendshipforhimwhichcouldwithstandthetemptationofprofitabletreason。

Buthehadhungdauntlesslyon。Hehadseenoneconcessionslippingthroughhisfingers，onlytostrainandtightenthemforaclutchatanother。Itdidnotsurprisehishearer——norindeeddiditparticularlyattractherattention——thattherewasnowhereinthisrapidandcomprehensivenarrativeanyallusiontoindustryofthewage-earningsort。Apparently，hehaddonenoworkatall，inthebread-winner\'ssenseoftheword。ThiswassolikeJoelthatitwastakenforgrantedinhissister\'smind。

Allhisvoyagesandadventuresandpainfulenterpriseshadbeeninformedbythedesireofthebuccaneer——thepassiontoreapwhereothershadsown，or，attheworst，togetsomethingfornothing。

ThediscursivestorybegantonarrowandconcentrateitselfwhenatlastitreachedMexico。Thesisterchangedherpositioninherchair，andcrossedherkneeswhenTehuantepecwasmentioned。ItwasfromthatplacethatJoelhadsenthertheamazingremittanceovertwoyearsago。

Curiouslyenough，though，itwasatthispointinhisnarrativethathenowbecamevagueastodetails。

Therewereconcessionsofrubberforestsmentioned，andthebarteroftheseforotherconcessionswithmoneytoboot，andvaryingphasesofachronictroubleaboutwherethetrueboundaryofGuatemalaran——butshefailedclearlytounderstandmuchaboutitall。Hisotherschemesandmishapsshehadfollowedreadilyenough。

SomehowwhentheycametoMexico，however，shesaweverythingjumbledanddistorted，asthroughahaze。

Onceortwicesheinterruptedhimtoaskquestions，butheseemedtoattachsuchslightimportancetohercomprehendingthesedetailsthatsheforbore。OnlyonefactwasitnecessarytograspabouttheMexicanepisode，apparently。WhenhequittedTehuantepec，tomakehiswaystraighttoLondon，atthebeginningoftheyear，heleftbehindhimarubberplantationwhichhedesiredtosell，andbroughtwithhimbetweensixandseventhousandpounds，withwhichtopaytheexpensesofsellingit。

Howhehadobtainedeithertheplantationorthemoneydidnotseemtohavemadeitselfunderstood。Nodoubt，ashismannerindicatedwhensheventuredherenquiries，itwasquiteirrelevanttothenarrative。

InMexico，hisexperiencehadbeenunique，apparently，inthatnovillainhadappearedonthescenetofrustratehisplans。

Heatleastmentionednoonewhohadwrongedhimthere。

WhenhecametoLondon，however，therewerevillainsandtospare。Hemovedtothemantel，whenhearrivedatthisstageofthestory，andmadeclearaspaceforhiselbowtorestamongthelittletrinketsandphotographswithwhichitwasburdened。Hestoodstillthereafter，lookingdownather；hisvoicetookonaharshernote。

Muchofthisstory，also，sheknewbyheart。Thisstrange，bearded，greyish-hairedbrotherofhershadcomeveryoftenduringthepasthalf-yeartothelittlebook-shop，andthewidow\'shomeaboveit，hismisshapenhandbagfullofpapers，hisheartfullofrage，hope，grief，ambition，disgust，confidence——everythingbutdespair。Itwastrue，ithadneverbeenquiterealtoher。Hewasrightinhissuggestionthatshehadneverwhollybelievedinhim。

Shehadnotbeenabletotakealtogetherseriouslythisclumsy，careworn，shabbily-dressedmanwhotalkedaboutmillions。Itwastruethathehadsentherfourhundredpoundsfortheeducationofhersonanddaughter；

itwasequallytruethathehadbroughtwithhimtoLondonasumwhichanyofhisancestors，sofarassheknewaboutthem，wouldhavedeemedafortune，andwhichhetreatedasmerelysomuchoil，withwhichtolubricatethemachineryofhisgreatenterprise。Shehadheard，atvarioustimes，theembittereddetailsofthedisappearanceofthismoney，littlebylittle。Nearlyaquarterofit，alltold，hadbeenappropriatedbyasleekoldbraggartofacompany-promoter，whohadcozenedJoelintothebeliefthatLondoncouldbebestapproachedthroughhim。

Whenatlastthiswretchwaskickeddownstairs，theeffecthadbeenonlytomakeroomforafreshlotofbloodsuckers。

Therewereso-calledadvertisingagents，so-calledjournalists，so-called"menofinfluenceintheCity，"——aswarmofrelentlessandvoraciousharpies，whodraggedfromhiminblackmailnearlythehalfofwhathehadleft，beforehesummonedthecourageanddecisiontoshutthemout。

Worsestill，insomeways，werethemenintowhosehandshestumblednext——agroupofCitymenconcernedintheSouthAfricanmarket，whoimpressedhimveryfavourablyattheoutset。Hegottoknowthembyaccident，andatthetimewhenhebegantocomprehendthenecessityofsecuringinfluentialsupportforhisscheme。EverythingthatheheardandcouldlearnaboutthemtestifiedtothestrengthoftheirpositionintheCity。Becausetheydisplayedacertainamiabilityofmannertowardhimandhisproject，heallowedhimselftomakesureoftheirsupport。

Itgrewtobeacertaintyinhismindthattheywouldseehimthrough。Hespentagooddealofmoneyindinnersandsuppersintheirhonour，aftertheyhadlethimunderstandthatthisformofpropitiationwasnotunpleasanttothem。

Theychaffedhimaboutsomenewspaperparagraphs，inwhichhewasdescribedasthe"RubberKing，"withanaffableassumptionofamusement，underwhichhebelievedthathedetectedagenuinerespectforhisabilities。

Finally，whenhehaddancedattendanceuponthemforthebetterpartoftwomonths，helaidbeforethem，atthecoffee-and-cigarsstageofadinnerinaprivateroomoftheSavoy，thedetailsofhisproposition。

TheyweretoformaSyndicatetotakeoverhisproperty，andplaceituponthemarket；inconsiderationoftheirfindingthereadymoneyforthisexploitation，theyweretohaveforthemselvestwo-fifthsofthesharesintheCompanyultimatelytobefloated。Theylistenedtothesedetails，andtohisenthusiasticremarksabouttheprojectitself，withratherperfunctorypatience，butcommittedthemselvesthateveningtonothingdefinite。Ittookhimnearlyaweekthereaftertogetananswerfromanyofthem。

Thenhelearnedthat，iftheytookthematterupatall，itwouldbeuponthebasisoftheSyndicatereceivingnine-tenthsoftheshares。

Heconceivedtheidea，afterhehadmasteredhisoriginalamazement，thattheynamedthesepreposteroustermsmerelybecausetheyexpectedtobebeatendown，andhesummonedallhisgoodnatureandtactforthetaskofhagglingwiththem。Hemisunderstoodtheirfirstshowofimpatienceatthis，andperseveredinthefaceoftheirtacitrebuffs。Then，oneday，acoupleofthemtreatedhimwithovertrudeness，andhe，astonishedoutofhiscaution，repliedtotheminkind。Suddenly，hecouldhardlytellwhyorhow，theywereallenemiesofhis。

Theyclosedtheirofficedoorstohim；eventheirclerkstreatedhimwithcontemptuousincivility。

Thisblowtohisprideenragedandhumiliatedhim，curiouslyenough，asnoothermisadventureofhislifehaddone。

Louisarememberedvividlythedescriptionhehadgiventoher，atthetime，ofthisaffair。Shehadhardlyunderstoodwhyitshoulddisturbhimsoprofoundly：tohermind，thesemenhaddonenothingsomonstrousafterall。Buttohim，theiroffenseswallowedupalltheotherindignitiessufferedduringtheyearsofhisIshmaelitishwanderings。

Asombrelustforvengeanceuponthemtookrootinhisverysoul。Hehatednobodyelseashehatedthem。

Howoftenshehadheardhimswear，insolemnvibratingtones，thattothedayofhisdeathhismostsacredambitionshouldbetheirpunishment，theirabasementinthedustandmire！

Andnow，allatonce，asshelookedupathim，whereheleantagainstthemantel，thesevagabondmemoriesofherstookpointandshape。Itwasabouttheseverymenthathewastalking。

"Andthinkofit！"hewassaying，impressively。"It\'smagnificentenoughformetomakethisgreathit——butIdon\'tcountitasanythingatallbycomparisonwiththefactthatImakeitattheirexpense。YourememberthefellowsItoldyouabout？"

heaskedabruptly，deferringtotheconfusedlookonherface。

"Yes——youmakeitoutofthem，"sherepeated，inanuncertainvoice。Itoccurredtoherthatshemusthavebeenalmostasleep。"ButdidImissanything？

Haveyoubeentellingwhatitisthatyouhavemade？"

"No——thatyoushallhaveingoodtime。Youdon\'tseemtorealizeit，Louisa。Icanhardlyrealizeitmyself。

Iamactuallyaveryrichman。Ican\'ttellhowmuchI\'vegot——infact，itcanbealmostasmuchasIlike——

halfamillionpounds，Isuppose，atthestart，ifIwanttomakeitthatmuch。Yes——ittakesthebreathaway，doesn\'tit？Butbestofall——athousandtimesbestofall——practicallyeverydollarofitcomesoutofthoseKaffirswine——theverymenthattriedtorobme，andthathavebeentryingtoruinmeeversince。ItellyouwhatIwish，Louise——IwishtoGodtherecouldonlybetimeenough，andI\'dtakeitallinhalf-sovereigns——twomillionsofthem，orthreemillions——andjustuntwisteverycoin，onebyone，outfromamongtheirheart-strings。Oh——butit\'llbeallrightasitis。It\'senoughtomakeamanfeelreligious——tothinkhowthosethievesaregoingtosuffer。"

"Well"shesaid，slowlyafterreflection，"itallratherfrightensme。"

Asifthechillintheairofthecheerlessroomhadsuddenlyaccentuateditself，shearose，tookamatch-

boxfromthemantel，and，stooping，litthefire。

Helookeddownatthetall，black-cladfigure，bentinstiffawkwardnessoverthesmokinggrate，andhiseyessoftened。

Thenhetookfreshnoteoftheroom——thefaded，threadbarecarpet，thesparseoldfurniturethathadseemeduglytoevenhisuninformedboyishtaste，thedingywallsandbegrimedlowceiling——allpatheticsymbolsofthebleaklifetowhichshehadbeencondemned。

"Frightensyou？"hequeried，withakindofjovialtenderness，asshegottoherfeet；"frightensyou，eh？Why，withinamonth\'stime，oldlady，you\'llberidingintheParkinyourowncarriage，withniggersfoldingtheirarmsupbehind，andyou\'llbetakingitallaseasyandasnaturalasifyou\'dbeenborninabarouche。"

Headded，inresponsetotheenquiryofherliftedbrows：

"Barouche？That\'swhatwe\'dcallinEnglandalandau。"

Shestoodwithafootuponthefender，hertired，passivefaceinclinedmeditatively，herrustyoldblackgowndrawnbackbyonehandfromthesnappingsparks。

"No，"shesaid，slowly，joylessresignationminglingwithprideinhervoice。"Iwasbornhereovertheshop。"

"Well，goodGod！sowasI，"hecommented，lustily。

"Butthat\'snoreasonwhyIshouldn\'twindupinParkLane——oryoueither。"

Shehadnothingtosaytothis，apparently。Afteralittle，sheseatedherselfagain，drawingherchairclosertothehearth。"It\'syearssinceI\'velitthisfirebeforethefirstofNovember，"sheremarked，withtheairofdefendingtheactiontoherself。

"Oh，we\'recelebrating，"hesaid，rubbinghishandsoverthereluctantblaze。"Everythinggoes，tonight！"

Herface，asshelookedupathim，betrayedthebewildermentofhermind。"Yousetouttotellmewhatitwasallabout，"

sheremindedhim。"YouseeI\'mcompletelyinthedark。

Ionlyhearyousaythatyou\'vemadeagreatfortune。

That\'sallIknow。Orperhapsyou\'vetoldmeasmuchasyoucareto。"

"Why，notatall，"hereassuredher，pullinghisownchairtowardhimwithhisfoot，andsprawlingintoitwithagruntofrelief。"Ifyou\'lldrawmeaglassofthatbeerofyours，I\'lltellyouallaboutit。

It\'snotathingforeverybodytoknow，nottobebreathedtoahumanbeing，forthatmatter——butyou\'llenjoyit，andit\'llbesafeenoughwithyou。"

Assherose，andmovedtowardadoor，hecalledmerrilyafterher："Nomorebeerwhenthatkegrunsdry，youknow。

Nothingbutchampagne！"

CHAPTERIII

THORPEtookalong，thoughtfulpullatthebeerhissisterbroughthim。

"Ah，Ididn\'tknowIwassothirsty，"hesaid，whenheputtheglassdown。"Truthis——I\'velosttrackofmyselfaltogethersince——sincethebigthinghappened。

Iseemtobesomebodyelse——acomparativestranger，sotospeak。I\'vegottogetacquaintedwithmyself，alloveragain。Youcan\'timaginewhatanextraordinaryfeelingitis——thisbeinghiteveryfewminuteswiththerecollectionthatyou\'reworthhalfamillion。

It\'slikebeingstruckoverthehead。Itknocksyoudown。

Therearesuchthousandsofthingstodo——youdanceabout，allofaflutter。Youdon\'tknowwheretobegin。"

"Beginwhereyouleftoff，"suggestedLouisa。"Youweregoingtotellmehow——how\'thebigthing\'happened。

You\'realwayscomingtoit——andnevergettinganyfurther。"

Noddingcomprehensionoftherebuke\'sjustification，heplungedforthwithintothetale。

"YouremembermytellingyouatthetimehowIgotmyBoardtogether。I\'mspeakingnowofthepresentCompany——afterI\'ddecidedtobemyownpromoter，andhaveatleastsomekindof\'alook-in\'formymoney。Therewasn\'tmuchmoneyleft，bytheway；itwasconsiderablyunderthreethousand。

ButIcometothatlater。FirsttherewastheBoard。

HerewaswherethatLordPlowdenthatItoldyouabout——themanthatcameoverontheshipwithme——camein。

Iwenttohim。I——God！Iwasdesperate——butIhadn\'tmuchofanideahe\'dconsent。Buthedid！Helistenedtome，andItoldhimhowI\'dbeenrobbed，andhowtheSyndicatewouldhavecutmythroatifIhadn\'tpulledaway，——andhesaid，\'Why，yes，I\'llgoonyourBoard。\'

ThenItoldhimmoreaboutit，andpresentlyhesaidhe\'dgetmeanothermanoftitle——asky-scraperofatitletoo——tobemyChairman。That\'stheMarquisofChaldon，atremendousdiplomaticswell，youknow，AmbassadoratViennainhistime，andLordLieutenantandallsortsofthings，butwillingtogatherinhisfivehundredayear，allthesame。"

"DoyoumeanthatYOUpayHIMfivehundredpoundsayear？"

askedthesister。

"Yes，I\'vegotaliveMarkisswhoworksformeattenquidaweek，andafewextras。TheotherDirectorsgetthreehundred。ThisLordPlowdenisoneofthem——butI\'lltellyoumoreabouthimlateron。Thenthere\'sWatkin，he\'sasmallaccountantFinsburyway；andDavidson，he\'sawine-merchantwhousedtobelongtoabigfirminDundee，butgetsalongthebestwayhecanonaverydickybusinesshereinLondon，now。Andthenthere\'sGeneralKervick，awfullywell-connectedoldchap，theysay，butIguessheneedsallhecanget。He\'sstartedwearinghisfur-coatalready。Well，that\'smyBoard。Icouldn\'tjoinit，ofcourse，tillafterallotment——that\'sbecauseI\'mthevendor，astheycallit——butthathasn\'tinterferedatallwithmyrunningthewholeshow。TheBoarddoesn\'treallycount，youknow。ItonlydoeswhatIwantittodo。

It\'sjustaformthatcostsmeseventeenhundredayear，that\'sall。"

"Seventeenhundredayear，"sherepeated，mechanically。

"Well，thenwegotouttheprospectus，d\'yesee。

Orfirst，therewereotherthingstobedone。Isawthatagoodbroker\'snamecountedforalotonaprospectus。

IpickedoutonethatI\'dheardwasreasonable——it\'dbeenasplendidnameifIcouldhavegotit——buthecalmlysaidhispricewastwothousandpounds，allcashdown——andI

cameaway。FinallyIgotafellowwhohadn\'tdonemuchofanythingyet，andsowasn\'tsostiffabouthisfigure。

Heagreedtotake500poundscash，and2，000inshares。

ItwasGod\'sluckthatIhitonhim，forheturnedout，atthepinch，tobetheonemaninamillionforme。

ButI\'lltellyouabouthimlater。He\'stheBroker，mind；

youmustn\'tforgethim。Well，then，heandIgotaSolicitor——hetook200poundscash，buthehadtohave2，000

shares——andthefirmofAuditors——theywere100poundscashand1，000shares。Everycompanyhastohavethesepeoplepastedontoit，bylaw。Ohyes，andthenyoumusthaveyourBankers。Youdon\'tpaythemanything，though，thankGod！Well，then，therewasthemachinerycomplete，allreadytostart。Itookahandsomesetofoffices，andfurnishedthemuptothenines——butthatIwasabletodoprettywelloncredit。Yousee，readymoneywasgettingshort。

"Andnowcamethebiggestpullofall。Therewasthepresstobeworked。"

HespokeasiftherewerenootherpapersinLondonbutthefinancialjournals。

"Ididn\'tsleepmuchwhilethatwasbeingfixedup。You\'vegotnomoreideaofwhatthepressmeans，Louisa，thanyouhaveof——ofacoilofsnakesthawingouthungryinthespring。

Why，ifoneblackmailercametome，Iswearahundreddid。

Theyscaredthelifeoutofme，thefirstmonthorso。

Andthenthere\'saswarmofadvertisingagents，whosaytheycankeeptheseblackmailersoff，ifyou\'llmakeitworththeirwhile。Buttheyallwantedtoomuchmoneyforme——andforawhileIwasatmywits\'ends。AtlastIgotafellow——he\'snotbehavedsobadly，allthingsconsidered——whohadsomesportingbloodinhisveins，andhewaswillingtodothewholethingfor5，000pounds，ifIcouldpay1，500poundsdown，andtherestinshares。

ButthatwasjustwhatIcouldn\'tdo，yousee，sofinallyhetook1，000poundsdownand5，000inshares——andasI

sayhe\'sdoneittolerablywell。TherewasoneeditorthatIhadtosquarepersonally——thatistosay，100poundscash——ithadtobeinsovereigns，fornotescouldbetraced——andacallof2，000sharesatpar，——he\'sthebosspiratethateverybodyhastosquare——andofcoursetherewereoddten-poundnoteshereandthere，butasaruleI

justopenedthedoorandfiredtheblack-mailersout。

Themomentafellowcamein，andhandedmehiscard，andsaidhehadproofsoftwokindsofarticlesinhispocket，onepraisingme，onedamningme，Itoldhimtogoandseemyadvertisingagent，andifhewouldn\'tdothat，thentogotohell。That\'sthewayyou\'vegottotalkintheCity，"

headded，asifinapologeticexplanation。

Louisalookedimpassivelyatherbrother。"Oh，I\'veheardtheexpressionasfarwestastheStrand，"sheremarked。

"Well，thencametheissue。ThatwaslastSaturday。

YousawtheprospectusinSaturdaymorning\'spapers，andintheweeklies。Thelistwastobekeptopen，itsaid，tillWednesdaymorning——thatwasyesterday。

Thatistosay，duringallthattime，peoplecouldapplyforshares。"

"Whichtheydidn\'tdo——accordingtoyouraccount，"

thesistersuggested，dryly。

Thorpepassedhisfingersthroughhisroughenedhair，andeyedherwithamomentaryquizzicalgleaminhiseye。

Thenhebecameseriousagain。Therecollectionofwhathewasnowtonarratebroughtafrowntohisbrows。

"OnTuesdayafternoon，"hebegan，withportentousdeliberation——"Orno，firstImustexplainsomething。

Yousee，inbringingoutacompany，youcan\'tputuptoostoutabluff。Imean，you\'vegottobehaveasifyouwererollinginwealth——asifeverythingwascomingyourway，andfortunesweretobemadebyfasteningtoyou。

Idon\'tknowthatitoftenfoolsanybodyverymuch，butit\'spartofthegame，andyoumustplayit。

Well，accordingly，myBrokergoeson\'changeSaturdaymorning，andhashisjobbershoutoutthathe\'llbuy\'RubberConsols\'——that\'swhatoursharesarecalledonthestreet——ataneighthpremium；thatistosay，heofferedtobuyfortwenty-two-and-sixwhatwewereofferingtothepublicfortwentyshillings。Ofcourse，yousee，theobjectofthatwastocreatetheimpressionthattherewasaregularGod-almightyrushforourshares。

AsIsay，Idon\'tknowwhetherthateverfooledanybody——butatleasttherewasthechancethatitmightstartupsomedealingintheshares——andallthosethingshelp。

Besides，yougotthesalesnoticedinthepapers，andthatmightstartupapplicationsfromthepublic。

Well，theBrokerbought1，000sharesthiswayonSaturday。

OnMonday，whenitmightstillbepossibletochangetheluck，hebought3，500more，stillatthatpremiumofaneighth。HeboughtsomeTuesdaymorningtoo——say4，000。Well，now，keepthosefiguresinyourhead，andkeepaneyeontheBroker。He\'sworthwatching——asyou\'llsee。"

"What\'shisname？"askedthesister，withanaccessionofalertnessinherface。"Youcallhim\'Broker\'——andthatdoesn\'tmeananythingtome。They\'reallbrokers，aren\'tthey？"

"Semple——ColinSemple，that\'shisname。He\'sayoungScotchman——father\'saPresbyterianminister。He\'salittle，insignificantruntofachaptolookat——butIlearnedalongtimeagonottojudgeasingedcatbyhislooks。

However——wherewasI？"

"YouweregoingtotellaboutTuesdayafternoon，weren\'tyou？"

Henoddedgravely，andstraightenedhimself，drawingalongbreathinpreparationforthedramaticrecitalbeforehim。

"OnTuesdayafternoon，"hebeganagain，withimpressiveslowness，"IwaswalkingonThrogmortonStreet，aboutfouro\'clock。Itwasrainingalittle——ithadbeenrainingonandoffallday——amiserable，rottensortofaday，withgreasymudeverywhere，andeverybodypokingumbrellasintoyou。IwasoutwalkingbecauseI\'d\'a\'

cutmythroatifI\'dtriedtostayintheofficeanothertenminutes。AllthatdayIhadn\'teatenanything。

Ihadn\'tsleptworthspeakingofforthreenights。

Thewholegamewasupforme。Iwasworsethanruined。

Ihadhalfacrowninmypocket。Ihadtenortwelvepoundsinthebank——andtheywouldn\'tletmeoverdrawafarthing。

Itellyou，Iwasjustplumbbusted。

"Therecamealonginthegutterasandwich-man。I\'dseenthecussbeforeduringtheday，walkingupanddownnearmyoffices。Itooknoticeofhim，becausehewastheraggedest，dirtiest，mostforlorn-lookingcrippleyoueversawinyourlife。NowIreadwhatwasonhisboards。

ItwasthebillofapaperthatIhadrefusedtobebledby，andthereitwasinbigletters：\'TheRubberBubbleBurst！\'

\'Thorpe\'sAudacityPunished！\'Thosewerethewords。

Icanseethemwithmyeyesshut。Istoodthere，lookingatthefellow，andIsupposetherewassomethinginthewayIlooked，forhestoppedtoo。

Ofcourse，hedidn\'tknowmefromAdam，butallthesame，I\'mdamnedifhedidn\'twinkhiseyeatme——asifwetwohadajokebetweenus。AndatthatIburstoutlaughing——I

simplyroaredwithlaughter，likeaboyatapantomime——andItookthatlasthalf-crownoutofmypocket，andIgaveittothesandwich-man。God！youshouldhaveseenhisface。"

"Idon\'tparticularlymind，Joel，"saidhissister，"butIneverheardyouswearsomuchbefore。"

"Oh，whatthe——whatthedeuce！"heprotested，impatiently。

"Don\'tinterruptmenow！Well，Iwentondownthestreet。

ThemembersoftheStockExchangewerecomingoutof\'thehouse，\'andmakinguplittlegroupsonthepavement。

Theydobusinessinside，youknow，untilclosingtime——thisdayithappenedtobefouro\'clock——andthentheycomeoutanddealinthestreetwithoneanother，withthekerb-stonemob，whoarenotallowedinside，standingroundtowatchthething。Icamealongintothethickofthesefellows；theywereyellingoutallsortsofthings——\'EastRands，\'\'Oroyas，\'\'LakeViewCentrals，\'

andwhatnot，butthesewentinoneearandouttheother。