第7章

CHAPTERXV

We\'vegotaspareroomhere，haven\'twe？"Thorpeaskedhisniece，whenshecameouttogreethiminthehalloftheirnewhomeinOvingtonSquare。Hespokewithpalpableeagernessbeforeevenunbuttoninghisdampgreat-coat，orputtingoffhishat。"Imeanit\'sallinworkingorderreadyforuse？"

"Whyyes，uncle，"Juliaanswered，afteramoment\'sthought。

"Issomeonecoming？"

"Ithinkso，"hereplied，withagruntofrelief。

Heseemedincreasinglypleasedwiththeprojecthehadinmind，asshehelpedhimoffwithhisthings。

Thesmilehegaveher，whensheplayfullytookhisarmtoleadhimintotheadjoininglibrary，wasclearlybutapartofthesatisfiedgrinwithwhichhewasconsideringsomedevelopmentinhisownaffairs。

Hegotintohisslippersandintotheeasy-chairbeforethebrightfireandlitacigarwithacontentedair。

"Well，mylittlegirl？"hesaid，withgenialinconsequence，andsmiledagainather，whereshestoodbesidethemantel。

"Itwillbesuchalarktoplaythehostesstoastranger！"

sheexclaimed。"Whenishecoming？——Isupposeitisa\'he，\'"sheadded，lessbuoyantly。

"Oh——thatfellow，"Thorpesaid，asifhehadbeenthinkingofsomethingelse。"Well——Ican\'ttelljustwhenhewillturnup。Ionlylearnedhewasintown——orinEngland——acoupleofhoursago。Ihaven\'tseenhimyetatall。

Idroveroundtohislodgings，neartheBritishMuseum，buthewasn\'tthere。Heonlycomestheretosleep，buttheytoldmeheturnedinearly——bynineo\'clockorso。

ThenIwentroundtoahotelandwroteanoteforhim，andtookitbacktohislodgings，andleftitforhim。

Itoldhimtopackuphisthingsassoonashegotit，anddrivehere，andmakethishishome——forthetimebeingatleast。"

"Thenit\'ssomeoldfriendofyours？"saidthegirl。

"IknowIshalllikehim。"

Thorpelaughedsomewhatuneasily。"Well——yes——he\'sakindofafriendofmine，"hesaid，withanoteofhesitationinhisvoice。"Idon\'tknow，though，thatyou\'llthinkmuchofhim。Heaintwhatyou\'dcallaladies\'man。"

Helaughedagainatsomethoughtthewordsconjuredup。

"He\'sacurious，simpleoldparty，who\'djustlikeacomfortablecornersomewherebyhimself，andwouldn\'texpecttobetalkedtoorentertainedatall。Ifhedoescome，he\'llkeeptohimselfprettywell。Hewouldn\'tbeanycompanyforyou。Imean，——foryouorAlfredeither。

Ithinkhe\'saCanadianorWestIndian，——Britishsubject，atallevents，——buthe\'slivedallhislifeintheWest，andhewouldn\'tknowwhattodoinadrawing-room，orthatsortofthing。You\'dbetterjustnotpayanyattentiontohim。Passthetimeofday，ofcourse，butthat\'sall。"

Julia\'salert，small-featuredfaceexpressedsomevaguedisappointmentatwhatsheheard，butherwordswerecheerfulenough。"Ohofcourse——whateverhelikesbest，"

shesaid。"IwilltellPottertomakeeverythingready。

Isupposethere\'snochanceofhisbeinghereintimefordinner？"

Thorpeshookhishead，andthenliftedhisbrowsoversomenewperplexity。"Iguesshe\'dwanttoeathismealsout，anyway，"hesaid，aftersomethought。

"Idon\'tseemtoremembermuchabouthiminthatrespect——

ofcourse，everythingwassodifferentincampoutinMexico——butIdaresayhewouldn\'tbemuchofanornamentatthetable。However，that\'llbeallright。He\'saseasytomanageasarabbit。IfItoldhimtoeatontheroof，he\'ddoitwithoutamurmur。Youseeit\'sthisway，Julia：he\'sascientificman——akindofgeologist，andminingexpertandrubberexpert——andchemicalexpertandallsortofthings。Isupposehemusthavegonethroughcollege——verylikelyhe\'llturnouttohavebettermannersthanIwasgivinghimcreditfor。

I\'veonlyseenhimintherough，sotospeak。Weweren\'tatallintimatethen，——butwehaddealingstogether，andtherearecertainimportantreasonswhyIshouldkeepcloseintouchwithhimwhilehe\'shereinLondon。

ButI\'lltryanddothatwithoutlettingyoubebothered。"

"Whatanidea！"criedJulia。"Asifthatwasn\'twhatwehadthehousefor——toseethepeopleyouwanttosee。"

Herunclesmiledratherruefully，andlookedinaratherdubiouswayathiscigar。"Betweenyouandmeandthelamp-post，Jule，"hesaid，withaslow，whimsicaldrawl，"thereisn\'tafellowintheworldthatIwantedtoseelessthanIdidhim。Butsincehe\'shere——why，we\'vegottomakethebestofit。"

Afterdinner，Thorpesufferedtheyoungsterstogouptothedrawing-roominthetacitunderstandingthatheshouldprobablynotseethemagainthatnight。

Hebetookhimselfthenoncemoretothelibrary，asitwascalled——thelittle，cozy，dark-panelledroomoffthehall，wheretheownerofthehousehadlefttwolockedbookcases，andwhereThorpehimselfhadinstalledawriting-deskandadiminutivesafeforhispapers。Thechiefpurposeofthesmallapartment，however，wasindicatedbythetwobig，round，low-seatedeasy-chairsbeforethehearth，andbythecigarboxesandspirit-standandtumblersvisiblebehindtheglassofthecabinetagainstthewall。

Thorpehimselfcalledtheroomhis"snuggery，"andspentmanyhoursthereinslipperedcomfort，smokingandgazingcontentedlyintothefire。SometimesJuliareadtohim，ashesatthusathisease，butthenhealmostinvariablywenttosleep。

Now，whenhehadpouredoutsomewhiskeyandwaterandlitacigar，theloungingchairssomehowdidnotattracthim。

Hemovedaboutaimlesslyinthecircumscribedspace，hishandsinhispockets，hisburlyshouldersrounded，hisfacedulledandheavyaswithadepressionofdoubt。

Thesoundofthepianoupstairscameintermittentlytohisears。Oftenheascendedtothedrawing-roomtohearJuliaplay——andmoreoftenstill，withallthedoorsopen，heenjoyedthemellowedmurmurofhermusichereathiseaseinthebigchair。Buttonighthehadnojoyinthenoise。

morethanonce，asheslouchedrestlesslyroundtheroom，thenotionofaskinghertostopsuggesteditself，butheforboretoputitintoaction。Oncehebusiedhimselfforatimeinkneelingbeforehissafe，andscrutinizingindetailthepapersinoneofthebundlesitcontained。

Atlast——itwasafterteno\'clock，andthemusicabovehadceased——thewelcomesoundsofcab-wheelswithout，andthenofthedoor-bell，cametodispelhisfidgetingsuspense。

Ontheinstanthestraightenedhimself，andhisfacerearrangeditsexpression。Hefasteneduponthedooroftheroomthecontrolled，calmglanceofonewhoiseasilyconfidentaboutwhatistohappen。

"Quaker-looking"wasnotaninaptphraseforthepersonwhomthemaidusheredintotheroomthroughthisdoor。

Hewasasmall，thin，elderlyman，bowedoffigureandshufflingingait。Hiscoatandlarge，low-crownedhat，thoughwornalmosttoshabbiness，conveyedanindefinablesenseofsometheologicalstandard，orpretencetosuchastandard。

Hismeagreface，too，withitsinfinityofanxiousyetmeaninglesslines，anditsdimspectacledeyes，soplainlyovertaxedbytheefforttodiscernanythingclearly，mighthavebelongedtoanyoldvillagepriestgrownchildishandblear-eyedinthesolitudeofstupidbooks。

Eventheblotchesoftell-talecolouronhislongnosewerenotaltogetherunclericalintheirsuggestion。

Apooroldmanheseemed，ashestoodblinkingintheelectriclightofthestrange，warmapartment——ahelpless，wornoldcreature，inuredthroughlongyearstobleakadversewinds，hopingnowfornothingbetterinthisworldthanpresentshelter。

"Howdoyoudo，Mr。Thorpe，"hesaid，afteramoment，withnervousformality。"Thisisunexpectedlykindofyou，sir。"

"Why——notatall！"saidThorpe，shakinghimcordiallybythehand。"Whathavewegothousesfor，buttoputupouroldfriends？Andhowareyou，anyway？You\'vebroughtyourbelongings，haveyou？That\'sright！"Heglancedintothehall，tomakesurethattheywerebeingtakenupstairs，andthenclosedthedoor。"Isupposeyou\'vedined。

Takeoffyourhatandcoat！Makeyourselfathome。

That\'sit——takethebigchair，there——so！Andnowlet\'shavealookatyou。Well，Tavender，myman，youhaven\'tgrownanyyounger。ButIsupposenoneofusdo。

Andwhat\'llyouhavetodrink？Itakeplainwaterinmine，butthere\'ssodaifyoupreferit。Andwhichshallitbe——IrishorScotch？"

Mr。Tavender\'scountenancerevealedtheextremityofhissurpriseandconfusionatthewarmthofthiswelcome。

Itapparentlyawedhimaswell，forthoughheshrankintoacornerofthehugechair，hepainstakinglyabstainedfromrestinghisheadagainstitsback。Uncovered，thisheadgainedacertaindignityofeffectfromthefashioninwhichthethin，iron-greyhair，partedinthemiddle，fellawayfromthefull，intellectualtemples，andcurledinmeeklocksuponhiscollar。AvagueresemblancetothetypeofWesley——orwasitFroebel？——mighthavehinteditselftotheobserver\'smind。

Thorpe\'sthoughts，however，werenotupontypes。

"Well"——hesaid，fromtheoppositechair，inhisroundest，heartiestvoice，whentheotherhadwithdiffidencesufferedhimselftobeserved，andhaddeferentiallylightedononesidethebigcigarpresseduponhim——"Well——andhow\'stheworldbeenusingyou？"

"Notveryhandsomely，Mr。Thorpe，"theotherresponded，inahushed，constrainedtone。

"Oh，chucktheMisters！"Thorpebadehim。"Aren\'tweoldpals，man？You\'replainTavender，andI\'mplainThorpe。"

"You\'reverykind，"murmuredTavender，stillabashed。

Forsomeminuteshecontinuedtoreplydolefully，andwithakindofshamefacedreluctance，tothequestionspileduponhim。Hewasinevilluck：nothinghadgonewellwithhim；ithadbeenwiththegreatestdifficultythathehadscrapedtogetherenoughtogetbacktoLondononthechanceofobtainingsomeexpertcommission；

practicallyhepossessednothingintheworldbeyondtheclothesonhisback，andthecontentsoftwooldcarpet-bags——theseadmissions，bydegrees，werewormedfromhim。

"Buthaveyoupartedwiththeconcession，then，thatyouboughtfromme？"Thorpesuddenlyaskedhim。"Helpyourselftosomemorewhiskey！"

Tavendersighedashetippedthedecanter。"Itisn\'tanygood，"heanswered，sadly。"TheGovernmentrepudiatesit——thatis，theCentralGovernmentatMexico。Ofcourse，Ineverblamedyou。Iboughtitwithmyeyesopen，andyousolditinperfectgoodfaith。Ineverdoubtedthatatall。Butit\'snotworththepaperit\'swrittenon——that\'scertain。It\'sthatthatbustedme——that，andsomeotherthings。"

"Well——well！"saidThorpe，blankly。Hisastonishmentwasobviouslygenuine，andforalittleitkepthimsilent，whileheponderedthenovelaspectsofthesituationthusdisclosed。Thenhiseyesbrightened，asanewpathoutlineditself。

"Isupposeyou\'vegotthepapers？——theconcessionandmytransfertoyouandallthat？"heasked，casually。

"Oh，yes，"repliedTavender。Headded，withagleamofreturningself-command——"That\'sallIhavegot。"

"Let\'ssee——whatwasityoupaidme？——Threethousandeighthundredpounds，wasn\'tit？"

Tavendermadeacalculationinmentalarithmetic。

"Yes，somethinglikethat。Justundernineteenthousanddollars，"hesaid。

"Well，"remarkedThorpe，withslowemphasis，"Iwon\'tallowyoutosufferthatwaybyme。I\'llbuyitbackfromyouatthesamepriceyoupaidforit。"

Tavender，beginningtotremble，jerkedhimselfuprightinhischair，andstaredthroughhisspectaclesathisastoundinghost。"Yousay"——hegasped——"yousayyou\'llbuyitback！"

"Certainly，"saidThorpe。"That\'swhatIsaid。"

"I——Ineverheardofsuchathing！"theotherfalteredwithincreasingagitation。"No——youcan\'tmeanit。

Itisn\'tcommonsense！"

"It\'scommondecency，"repliedthebigman，inhismostcommandingmanner。"It\'slifeanddeathtoyou——anditdoesn\'tmatteraflea-bitetome。So，sinceyoucametogriefthroughme，whyshouldn\'tIdothefairthing，andputyoubackonyourlegsagain？"

Tavender，staringnowatthoseshrunkenlegsofhis，breathedheavily。Thethingoverwhelmedhim。

Onceortwiceheliftedhisheadandessayedtospeak，butnospeechcametohisthinlips。Hemoistenedthemeventuallywithalongdeliberatepullathisglass。

"Thismuchoughttobeunderstood，however，"Thorperesumed，reflectinguponhiswordsashewentalong。"IfI\'mtobuybackadeadhorse，likethat，it\'sonlyreasonablethatthereshouldbeconditions。Isupposeyou\'veseenbythistimethatevenifthisconcessionofourswasrecognizedbytheGovernmenttherewouldn\'tbeanymoneyinittospeakof。Ididn\'trealizethattwoyearsago，anymorethanyoudid，butit\'splainenoughnow。

Thetradehasprovedit。Apropertyofrubbertreeshasnorealvalue——solongasthere\'sawildernessofrubbertreesallroundthat\'severybody\'sproperty。

Howcanamanpayeventheinterestonhispurchasemoney，supposinghe\'sboughtarubberplantation，whenhehastocompetewithpeoplewho\'vepaidnopurchasemoneyatall，butjustgetoutasmuchastheylikefromthefreeforest？

Youmustknowthatthatisso。"

Tavendernoddedeloquently。"Ohyes，Iknowthatisso。

Youcanproveitbyme。"

Thorpegrinnedalittle。"Asithappens，thataintwhatI

needtohaveyouprove，"hesaid，dryly。"NowWEknowthatarubberpropertyisnogood——butLondondoesn\'tknowit。

Everybodyherethinksthatit\'sagreatbusinesstoownrubbertrees。Why，manalive，doyouknow"——theaudacityoftheexampleithadoccurredtohimtocitebroughtagratifiedtwinkletohiseyesashewenton——"doyouknowthatamanherelastyearactuallysoldarubberplantationforfourhundredthousandpounds——twomillionsofdollars！

Notincash，ofcourse，butinsharesthathecoulddosomethingwith——andbeforehe\'sdonewithit，I\'mtold，he\'sgoingtomaketwicethatamountofmoneyoutofit。

That\'llshowyouwhatLondonislike。"

"Yes——Isupposetheydothosethings，"remarkedTavender，vaguely。

"Well——mypointisthatperhapsIcandosomethingorotherwiththisconcessionofyourshere。Imayevenbeabletogetmymoneybackonit。AtanyrateI\'lltakemychancesonit——sothatatleastyoushan\'tloseanythingbyit。Ofcourse，ifyou\'drathertryandputitonthemarketyourself，whygoahead！"TherewasawistfulpathosinthewayTavendershookhishead。

"Bigmoneydoesn\'tmeananythingtomeanymore，"

hesaid，wearily。"I\'mtoooldandI\'mtootired。

Why——four——five——yes，halfadozentimesI\'vehadenoughmoneytolastmecomfortablyallmylife——andeverytimeI\'veuseditasbaittocatchbiggermoneywith，andlostitall。

Idon\'tdothatanymore！I\'vegotsomethingthematterwithmeinternallythattakesthenervealloutofme。

Thedoctorsdon\'tagreeaboutit，butwhateveritsnameisI\'vegotitforkeeps。ProbablyIshan\'tliveverylong"——Thorperecalledthattheoldmanhadalwaystakenagloomyviewofhishealthafterthethirdglass——"andifyouwanttopaymethenineteenthousanddollars，orwhateveritis，whyIshallsay\'Godblessyou，\'

andbemorethancontented。"

"Oh，there\'ssomethingmoretoitthanthat，"observedThorpe，withanaddedelementofbusiness-likebrisknessinhistone。

"IfIletyououtinthisway——something，ofcourse，youcouldneverhavedreamedwouldhappen——youmustdosomethingsforme。Ishouldwantyou，forexample，togobacktoMexicoatonce。Ofcourse，I\'dpayyourexpensesout。Orsay，I\'dgiveyouaroundfourthousandpoundstocoverthatandsomeotherthingstoo。

Youwouldn\'tobjecttothat，wouldyou？"

Themanwho，twohoursbefore，hadconfrontedexistencewiththechangeofhislastfive-poundnoteinhispocket，didnothesitatenow。"Ohno，thatwouldbeallright，"

withrevivinganimation，hedeclared。Hehelpedhimselfagainfromthecut-glassdecanter。"Whatwouldyouwantmetodothere？"

"Oh，areportontheconcessionforastarter，"Thorpeanswered，withcarefulindifference。"Isupposetheystillknowyournameasanauthority。Icouldmakethatallrightanyway。

ButonethingIoughttospeakof——itmightberatherimportant——Iwouldn\'tliketohaveyoumentiontoanybodythattheconcessionhasatanytimebeenyours。

Thatmighttendtoweakenthevalueofyourreport，don\'tyousee？Letitbesupposedthattheconcessionhasbeenmypropertyfromthestart。Youcatchmypoint，don\'tyou？Thereneverwasanysuchthingasatransferofittoyou。It\'salwaysbeenmine！"

Tavendergavehisbenefactorapurblindsortofwink。

"Alwaysbelongedtoyou？Whyofcourseitdid，"

hesaidcheerfully。

Theotherbreathedacautiousprolongedsighofrelief"You\'dbetterlightafreshone，hadn\'tyou？"heasked，observingwithakindofcontemptuoustolerancetheoldman\'seffortstoigniteacigarwhichhadmorethanonceunrolledlikeacarpenter\'sshavinginhisunaccustomedfingers，andwasnowshapelesslydefiantofbothdraughtandsuction。

Tavenderlaughedtohimselfsilentlyashetookanewcigar，andpuffedatthematchheldbyhiscompanion。Theairofinnocenceandlong-sufferingmeeknesswasfallingrapidlyawayfromhim。Heputhisshabbybootsoutconfidentlytothefenderandmadegestureswithhisglassashetalked。

"Mymistake，"hedeclared，ininsistenttones，"wasinnotturningdownsciencethirtyyearsagoandgoinginbodilyforbusiness。ThenIshouldhavemademypileasyouseemtohavedone。ButItriedtodosomethingofboth。

HalftheyearIwasassayingcrushings，orrunningalevel，oranalyzingsugars，forasalary，andtheotherhalfI

wastryingtodoagamblewiththatsalaryonthestrengthofwhatI\'dlearned。Youcan\'tringthebellthatway。

You\'vegottobeeitherapigorapup。Youcan\'tdoboth。

Now，forinstance，ifI\'dcometoLondonwhenyoudid，andbroughtmymoneywithmeinsteadofbuyingyourconcessionwithit——"

"Why，whatgooddoyousupposeyouwouldhavedone？"

Thorpeinterruptedhimwithgood-naturedbrusqueness。

"You\'dhavehadittakenfromyouinafortnight！Why，man，doyouknowwhatLondonis？You\'dhavehadnomorechanceherethananakedniggerinaswamp-fullofalligators。"

"Youseemtohavehititoff，"theotherobjected。

"ThisisasfineahouseasIwaseverin。"

"Withmeit\'sdifferent，"Thorpereplied，carelessly。

"Ihavethetalentformoney-making。I\'mamaninarmour。

The\'gatorscan\'tbiteme，noryettherattle-snakes。"

"Yes——menaremadeupdifferently，"Tavenderassented，withphilosophicalgravity。Thenhelurchedgentlyintheover-largechair，andfixedanintentgazeuponhishost。

"Whatdidyoumakeyourmoneyin？"hedemanded，notwithentiredistinctnessofenunciation。"Itwasn\'trubber，wasit？"

Thorpeshookhishead。"There\'snomoneyinrubber。

I\'mentirelyinfinance——ontheStockExchange——dealingindifferences，"hereplied，withaseriousface。

TheexplanationseemedwhollyacceptabletoTavender。

Hemuseduponitplacidlyforatime，withhisreverendheadpillowedaskewagainstthecornerofthechair。

Thenhelethiscigardrop，andclosedhiseyes。

Themasterofthehousebentforward，andnoiselesslyhelpedhimselftoanotherglassofwhiskeyandwater。

Then，sinkingbackagain，heeyedhisoddguestmeditativelyashesippedthedrink。Hesaidtohimselfthatinallthemiraculousrunofluckwhichtheyearhadbroughthim，thiswasthemostextraordinarymanifestationofthelot。

Ithadbeensoeasytoignoretheexistenceofthistiresomeandfatuousoldman，solongashewasinremoteMexico，thathehadpracticallyforgottenhim。ButheshouldnotsoonforgetthefrightenedshockwithwhichhehadlearnedofhispresenceinLondon，thatafternoon。

Foraminuteortwo，thereinhissister\'sbook-shop，ithadseemedasifhewerefallingthroughtheair——asifthesubstantialearthhadcrumbledawayfromunderhim。

Butthenhisnervehadreturnedtohim，hisresourcefulbrainhadreasserteditself。Withreadyshrewdnesshehadgoneout，andmettheemergency，andmadeittheservantofhisownpurposes。

Hecouldbegladnow，unreservedlyglad，thatTavenderhadcometoLondon，thatthingshadturnedoutastheyhad。

Intruth，hestoodnowforthefirsttimeonsolidground。

Whenhethoughtofit，now，theriskhehadbeenrunningallthesemonthsgavehimalittlesinkingoftheheart。

Uponreflection，theperformanceofhavingsoldthesamepropertyfirsttoTavenderinMexicoandthentotheRubberConsolsCompanyinLondonmightbesubjecttoinjuriouscomment，orworse。Thefactthatitwasnotarealpropertytobeginwithhadnoplaceinhisthoughts。

Itwasaconcession——andconcessionswereimmemoriallyworthwhattheywouldfetch。Buttheotherthingmighthavebeensoawkward——andnowitwasallright！

Foranhourandmore，tillthefireburntitselfoutandtheguest\'ssnoringbecametooactiveanuisance，Thorpesatlostinthiscongratulatoryreverie。

Thenherose，andsharplyshakingTavenderintoasemblanceofconsciousness，ledhimupstairsandputhimtobed。

ThreedayslaterhepersonallysawTavenderoffatWaterloostationbythesteamer-train，enrouteforSouthamptonandNewYork。Theoldmanwasinchildlikegoodspirits，lookingmoreecclesiasticalthaneverinthenewclotheshehadbeenenabledtobuy。Hevisiblypurredwithcontentwheneverhisdimeyescaughtsightofthenewvaliseandsteamertrunk，whichbelongedtohim，onthebusyplatform。

"You\'vebeenverykindtome，Thorpe，"hesaidmorethanonce，astheystoodtogetherbesidetheopendoorofthecompartment。"Iwasneversohospitablytreatedbeforeinmylife。Yourattentiontomehasbeenwonderful。

Icallyouatruefriend。"

"Oh，that\'sallright！Gladtodoit，"repliedtheother，lightly。IntruthhehadnotletTavenderstrayonceoutofhissightduringthosethreedays。

HehaddraggedhimtirelesslyaboutLondon，showinghimthesightsfromSouthKensingtonMuseumtotheTower，shoppingwithhim，restinginoldtavernswithhim，breakfasting，lunching，auddiningwithhim——intheindefatigableresolutionthatheshouldstrikeupnodangerousgossipingacquaintancewithstrangers。

Thetaskhadbeentiresomeintheextreme——

butithadbeenverywellworthwhile。

"OnethingI\'mrathersorryabout，"Tavenderremarked，inapologeticparenthesis——"Ioughttohavegonedownandseenthatbrother-in-lawofmineinKent。He\'sbeenverygoodtome，andI\'mnottreatinghimverywell。

IwrotetotellhimIwascoming——butsincethenIhaven\'thadaminutetomyself。However，Icanwritetohimandexplainhowithappened。AndprobablyI\'llbeoveragainsometime。"

"Why，ofcourse，"saidThorpe，absently。Theallusiontothebrother-in-lawinKenthadescapedhisnotice，sointentwasheuponanewcongeriesofprojectstakingvagueshapeinhismind。

"Thinkofyourselfasmymanoutthere，"hesaidnow，slowly，followingtheclueofhisthoughts。"Theremaybebigthingstodo。Writetomeasoftenasyoucan。

Tellmeeverythingthat\'sgoingon。Moneywillbenoobjecttome——youcanhaveasmuchasyoulike——ifthingsturnupouttherethatareworthtakingup。Butmindyousaynothingaboutme——oranyconnectionyou\'veeverhadwithme。

You\'llgetaletterfromtheSecretaryofaCompanyandtheChairmanaskingforareportonacertainproperty，andnamingafee。Yousimplymakeagoodreport——onitsmerits。Yousaynothingaboutanythingelse——aboutme，orthehistoryoftheconcession，oritsvalidity，oranything。Imustn\'tbealludedtoinanyway。

Youquiteunderstandthat？"

"Trustme！"saidtheoldman，andwrunghisbenefactor\'shand。

ItwasindeedwithatrustfuleyethatThorpewatchedthetraindrawoutofthestation。

CHAPTERXVI

THEweekfollowingtheAugustBankHolidayisveryrarelyindeedabusyoranxioustimeintheCity。Intheordinarycourseofthings，itservesastheeasy-goingprelude——withbutcasualandinattentivevisitseastward，andwithonlythemostcarelessglancesthroughthefinancialpapers——tothehalcyonperiodoftherealvacation。

MencometotheCityduringthisweek，itistrue，buttheirthoughtsareelsewhere——onthemoors，onthebluesea，ontheglacierorthefiord，orthepleasantGermanpineforests。

TothegreatmassofCitypeople；thisAugustinquestionbeganinanormalenoughfashion。Toonelittlegroupofoperators，however，andtothewideningcircleofbrokers，bankers，andothermenofaffairswhoseinterestsweremoreorlessinvolvedwiththoseofthisgroup，itwasaseasonofkeenperturbation。

Acombatofanextraordinarycharacterwasgoingon——acombatwhichthreatenedtodevelopintoamassacre。

Eventotheoperatorswho，unhappilyforthemselves，wereprincipalsinthisfight，itwasastruggleinthedark。

Theyknewlittleaboutit，beyondthegrimly-patentfactthattheywerebattlingfortheirverylives。Theouterringoftheirfriendsandsupportersanddependentsknewstillless，thoughtheirrageandfearswereperhapsgreater。

The"press"seemedtoknownothingatall。ThisunnaturalsilenceoftheCity\'smouthpieces，usuallysoresoundinglyclamorousupontheonesideandtheotherwhenaduelisinprogress，gaveasinisteraspecttothething。

Thepapershadbeengaggedandblindfoldedfortheoccasion。

Thisinitselfwasofbalefulsignificance。Itwasnotaduelwhichtheyhadbeenbribedtoignore。

Itwasanassassination。

Outwardlytherewasnothingtosee，savetheunofficial，baldstatementthatonAugust1st，thelatestoftwelvefortnightlysettlementsinthisstock，RubberConsolshadbeenbidfor，andcarriedover，at15poundsforone-poundshares。

Theinformationconcernedthepublicatlargenotatall。

Nobodyknewofanyfriendorneighbourwhowasfortunateenoughtopossesssomeoftheseshares。Readershereandthere，notingthefigures，musthavesaidtothemselvesthatcertainluckypeoplewerecoiningmoney，butverylittlehappenedtobeprintedastotheidentityofthesepeople。

Straynoteswerebeginningtoappearinthepersonalcolumnsoftheafternoonpapersabouta"RubberKing"

ofthenameofThorpe，butthemodernexploitationoftheworld\'sfourcornersmakessomany"kings"thatthenamehadnot，asyet，familiarizeditselftothepopulareye。

Citymen，whohearmorethantheyread，knewinageneralwayaboutthis"RubberKing。"Hewasanoutsiderwhohadcomein，andwasobviouslyfillinghispockets；butitwasacomfortingrulethatoutsiderswhodidthisalwaysgottheirpocketsemptiedforthemagaininthelongrun。

ThereseemednothingaboutThorpetosuggestthathewouldproveanexceptiontotherule。Hewasinvestinghiswinningswithgreatfreedom，sotheCityunderstood，andhisofficewasbesiegeddailybypromotersandtouts。

Theycouldcleanouthisstrong-boxfasterthantheprofitsofhisRubbercornercouldfillit。

Toknowsuchaman，however，couldnotbutbeuseful，andtheymadefurtivenotesofhisnumberinAustinFriarsontheircuffs，afterconversationhaddriftedfromhimtoothertopics。

AstotheRubbercorneritself，theStockExchangeasawholewasapathetic。Whensomeofthesufferersventuredcautioushintsaboutthepossibilityofofficialinterventionontheirbehalf，theywerelaughedatbythosewhodidnotturnawayincoldsilence。

OfthefourteenmenwhohadoriginallybeencaughtinthenetdrawntightbyThorpeandSemple，alltheconspicuousonesbelongedtotheclassof"wreckers，"

aclasswhichdoesnotendearitselftoCapelCourt。

BothRostockerandAronson，who，itwassaid，wereworsthit，weremenofgreatwealth，buttheyhadsystematicallyamassedthesefortunesbystranglingintheircradlesweakenterprises，andbyunderminingandtopplingoverotherenterpriseswhichwouldnothavebeenweakiftheyhadbeengivenalegitimatechancetolive。

Theirsystemwaslegalenough，intheeyesalikeofthelawandoftheStockExchangerules。Theyhadanundoubtedrighttomarkouttheirpreyandpursueit，andbringitdown，andfeedtotheboneuponit。Buttheexerciseofthisrightdidnotmakethembelovedbythebegettersandsponsorsoftheirvictims。Whenwordfirstwentround，onthelastdayofFebruary，thatalambhadunexpectedlyturneduponthesetwopractisedandconfidentwolves，andhadtornanearfromeachofthem，anddriventhempell-mellintoa"corner，"itwasreceivedonallsideswithagratifiedsmile。

Later，byfortnightlystages，thestorygrewatoncemoretragicandmoresatisfactory。NotonlyRostockerandAronson，butadozenotherswereintheculdesacguardedbythissurprisingandbloody-mindedlamb。

Mostofthenameswerewell-knownasthoseof"wreckers。"

InthiscategorybelongedBlaustein，Ganz，Rothfoere，Lewis，Ascher，andMendel，andifHarding，Carpenter，andVeseycouldnotbesoconfidentlyclassified，atleasttheirmisfortuneexcitednoparticularsympathy。

Twoothernamesmentioned，thoseofNorfellandPinney，werepracticallyunknown。

Therewassomesurprise，however，atthestatementthattheoldandrespectedandextremelyconservativefirmofFromentinBros。wasentangledinthething。Egyptianbonds，minorLevantineloans，discountsintheArabianandPersiantrades——thesehadbeenspecialtiesoftheFromentinsformanyyears。Whocouldhaveexpectedtofindthemcaughtamongthe"shorts"inMexicanrubber？ItwasMexico，wasn\'tit，thattheseRubberConsolspurportedtobeconnectedwith？

Thorpe\'sCompany，uponitscommercialmerits，hadnotbeenconsideredatallbythegentlemenoftheStockExchange，atthetimeofitsflotation。Menvaguelyandwithdifficultyrecalledthefactofitsprospectus，whenthe"corner"initsshareswasfirsttalkedabout。

Theylookeditupintheirlistsandfiles，lateron，butitstermssaidnothingtothem。NobodydiscussedthevalueoftheassetsownedbythisCompany，ortheprobabilityofitspayingadividend——evenwhenthepricebidforitsshareswasmakingthemostsensationalupwardleaps。HowThorpestoodwithhisshareholders，orwhetherhehadanygenuineshareholdersbehindhimatall，wasseenbythekeeneyesofCapelCourttobebesidethequestion。Verylikelyitwasaqueeraffair，ifthetruthwereknown——butatleastithadsubstanceenoughinittobegivingthe"wreckers"alivelytime。

BytheendofJulyitwasunderstoodthatthefightwasbetterworthwatchingthananythingthathadbeenseeninalongtime。Theonlytroublewasthattherewassolittletosee。Thepaperssaidnothing。

Thesuffererswerethereverseofgarrulous。ThelittleredScotchman，Semple，whowasthevisibleavengingswordofthe"corner，"wasmoreimperturbablysilentthananybodyelse。Hisfellow-membersinthe"House"watchedhimnow，however，withanewrespect。Theydiscoveredunsuspectedelementsofpowerinhisthin，tightmouth，inthedirect，coldglancesofhisbrown-greyeyes，intheverywayhecarriedhisheadandworehishat。

Hecametobepointedout，andnoddedaboutbehindhisback，morethananyoneelseinthe"House，"andimportantmensoughthisacquaintance，withanawkwardshowofcivility，whowerenotoriousfortheirrudeexclusiveness。

Itmightbe，ofcourse，thathis"corner"wouldbreakunderhimatanyfortnightlysettlement，butalreadyhehadcarrieditmuchfurtherthansuchthingsoftenwent，andtheplanningofthecouphadbeenbeyonddoubtNapoleonic。

HadthissmallsandyScotplannedit，orwashemerelytheweaponinThorpe\'shand？BothviewshadtheirsupportersontheExchange，butafterthewrenchofAugust1st，whenwithanabrupteighty-shillingrisethepriceofRubberConsolsstoodat15pounds，anditwastobecomputedthatSemplehadreceivedonthatsingledaynearly75，000poundsindifferencesand"backwardation，"astorywassetafloatwhichgaveThorpetheundividedcreditoftheinvention。

ItwasrelatedascomingfromhisownlipsthathehadschemeditallouttoberevengeduponagroupofJewishoperators，againstwhomhehadagrievance。

Inconfirmationofthistale，itwaspointedoutthat，ofthesevenmenstillheldpinnedinthefatal"corner，"sixwereJews——andthisdid，uponfirstglance，looksignificant。

Butthenitwasobjected，uponreflection，thatBlausteinandAscherhadbothbeenpermittedtomaketheirescape，andthishardlyjustifiedthetheoryofanimplacableanti-Semiticvendetta。Theobjectionseemedreasonable，butitwasmetinturnbythepointthatBlausteinandAscherhadbeenbledwhite，asBismarck\'sphrasewent，beforetheywerereleased，whereasthefiveChristianshadbeenliberatedwithrelativelymoderatefines。

Uponthewhole，acertainodouroftheJudenhetzeclungthereafteraboutthe"corner"inRubberConsols。

Onanafternoonofthefollowingweek，Mr。StormontThorpewasaloneintheBoardRoomoftheofficesinAustinFriars。

Hehadrisenfromthegreatroller-toppeddeskoverbetweenthewindows，andwalkednowwithalethargic，tiredsteptoandfrobeforetheemptyfireplace，yawningmorethanonce，andstretchingouthisarmsinthesupremegestureoffatigue。Afteradozenlistlessrounds，somethingoccurredtohim。Hemovedwithacertaindirectnessofpurposetothecabinetinthecorner，unlockedit，andpouredoutforhimselfatumblerofbrandyandsoda。

Hedrankitwithoutapause，thenturnedagain，andbeganpacingupanddownasbefore，hishandsclaspedbehindhim，hisheadbentinthought。

Theinterveningsixmonthshadeffectedvisiblechangesintheouterman。Onenotedmostreadilythatthefacehadgrownfullerinitslowerparts，andwasfarlessbrownedthanformerly。Thelarge，heavycountenance，withitssquarejawsmaskednowunderincreasedflesh，itsbeginningsofadouble-chin，anditsslightlyflabbyeffectofpallor，wasnolongerlackinginindividualdistinction。

Itwaspalpablythevisageofadictator。Themoustachehadbeencutdowntomilitarybrevity，andthelineofmouthbelowitwaseloquentofroughpower。Thesteadygreyeyes，seeminglysmalleryetmoreconspicuousthanbefore，revealedintheirglancenewelementsofsecretiveness，ofstrategysupportedbyabundantandconfidentpersonalforce。

Themanhimselfseemedscarcelytohavegrownstouter。

Heheldhimselfmorecompactly，asitwere；seemedmorethemasterofallhisphysicalexpressions。Hewasdressedlikeamagnatewhowasalsoapersonoftaste。

Therewasaflowerinthelapelofhiswell-shapedfrock-coat，andtherustleofhisstarchedandspotlesswhitewaistcoatmurmuredpleasantlyofrefinedtoilets。

"TheMarquisofChaldon——andagentleman，withhim。"

Theannouncement，fromaclerkwhohadnoiselesslyopenedthedoor，imposeditselfwithdecorumuponThorpe\'sreverie。

"Whoisthegentlemanwithhim？"Thorpebeganausterelytoask，afteraninstant\'shesitation。Butthisbriefestofdelayshadbroughtthecallersintoplainviewbehindtheclerk，andwithaslightgesturethemasterassentedtotheirentrance。

ThislargeapartmentwasnolongercalledtheBoardRoombyanybody。Bytacitprocesses，ithadbecomeMr。Thorpe\'sroom。NoteventhetitularChairmanoftheCompany，therenownedandeminentLordChaldon，ex-Ambassadorandex-Viceroy，enteredthischambernowwithanyassumptionofproprietorshipinit。

NohintofarecollectionthatthereweresuchthingsastheCompanyandtheBoard，orthathewasnominallytheheadofboth，expresseditselfinhisLordship\'sdemeanourasheadvanced，hishandalittleextended。

ThenobleChairmanwaswhiteofbeardandhair，andextremelycourteousofmanner——asmall，carefully-clad，graciousoldgentleman，whosemildpinkcountenancehad，withyearsofanxietyaboutwaysandmeans，disposeditselfinlineswhichproducedachronicexpressionofsolicitude。

Anervousaffectionoftheeyelidslenttothislook，atintervals，abeseechingqualitywhichembarrassedthebeholder。Allmenhadlikedhim，andspokenwellofhimthroughouthislongandhard-workedcareer。

Thorpewasveryfondofhimindeed，andputarespectfulcordialityintohisgraspoftheprofferedhand。

Thenhelooked，withacertainthinly-veiledbluntnessofenquiry，pasttheMarquistohiscompanion。

"Youwereverykindtogivemetheappointment，"

saidLordChaldon，withalittlepurringglossofaffabilityupontheearnestnessofhistone。"Iwishverymuchtointroducetoyoumyfriend，myoldfriendImaysay，MonsieurAlexandreFromentin。Weslepttogetherunderthesametent，inthePersiancountrybeyondBagdad——oh，itmusthavebeenquitefortyyearsago。Wewereyoungsterslookingtowinourfirstspursthen——Iinmyline，heinhis。

Andoftensincewehaverenewedthatoldfriendship——atmanydifferentplaces——India，andConstantinople，andEgypt。

Iwishheartilytocommendhimtoyour——yourkindness。"

Thorpehadperfunctorilyshakenhandswiththestranger——atall，slender，sharp-faced，clean-shaven，narrow-shoulderedman，whobytheseaccountsofhisyearsoughtnottohavesuchexcessivelyblackhair。Hebowedinaforeignfashion，andutteredsomewordswhichThorpe，thoughherecognizedthemasEnglishinintent，failedtofollow。Thevoicewasthatofanelderlyman，andatasecondglancetherewereplentyofproofsthathemighthavebeenolderthantheMarquis，outthereinPersia，fortyyearsago。

ButThorpedidnotlikeoldmenwhodyedtheirhair，andheofferedhisvisitorschairs，drawnupfromthetabletowardhisdesk，withacertainreserveofmanner。

Seatinghimselfintherevolvingchairatthedeskitself，heputthetipsofhisfingerstogether，andlookedthisgentlemanwiththeContinentalnameandexperienceintheface。

"Istheresomethingyouwishmetodo？"heasked，passivelyfacilitatingtheopeningofconversation。

"Ah，myGod！\'Something\'！"——repeatedtheother，withaflutteringgestureofhishandsoverhisthin，pointedknees——"everything，Mr。Thorpe！"

"That\'satolerablylargeorder，isn\'tit？"

Thorpeasked，calmly，movingaslow，inscrutableglancefromonetotheotherofhiscallers。

"Icouldaskfornothingthatwouldbeagreaterpersonalfavour——andkindness"——LordChaldoninterposed。

Histoneborethestressofsincerity。

"Thatmeansagreatdealtome，asyouknow，myLord，"

repliedThorpe，"butIdon\'tintheleastunderstand——

whatisitthatyourfriendwants？"

"OnlythatIshallnotbeburiedinabankrupt\'sgrave，"

thesuppliantanswered，withakindofembitteredeagernessofutterance。"ThatIshallnotseedisgracedthehonourednamethatmyfatherandhisfatherbequeathedtomycare！"

Thorpe\'slarge，composedcountenancebetrayedacertainperplexity。"Theremustbeamistake，"

heobserved。"Idon\'tevenknowthisnameofyours。

Ineverhearditbefore。"

Theother\'smobilefacetwisteditselfinagrimaceofincredulity。Hehadaconspicuouslywidemouth，anditstrickofsidelongextensionatthismomentwasveryunpleasant。"Ah，HerrJe！Heneverheardit，"

heejaculated，turningnervouslytotheMarquis。

"WouldtothegoodGodyouneverhad！"hetoldThorpe，withsuppressedexcitement。

LordChaldon，hisownvoiceshakenalittle，interposedwithanexplanation。"Myfriendisthehead——therespectedhead——ofthefirmofFromentinBrothers。

Ithinkyouhave——havedealingswiththem。"

Thorpe，afterafurtiveinstantofbewilderment，openedhismouth。"Oh！Isee，"hesaid。"Iknowwhatyoumeannow。WiththeFrenchpronunciation，Ididn\'trecognizethename。I\'vealwayshearditcalled\'Fromen\'-tin\'

hereinLondon。Oh，yes，ofcourse——Fromen\'tinBrothers。"

Hislipsshuttightagainatthis。Thelistenershadcaughtnohelpfulcluefromthetoneofhiswords。

Theyexchangedaglance，andthenM。Fromentinspoke。

"Mr。Thorpe，"hebegan，slowly，withanobviouseffortatself-repression。"Itisaverysimplestory。Ourhouseisanoldone。Myfather\'sgrandfatherorganizedthefinanceofthecommissariatofGeneralBonaparteinEgypt。

HecreatedthesmallbeginningsofthecarpetandrugimportationfromAsiaMinor。Hisson，andinturnhisson，followedhim。Theybecamebankersaswellasimporters。

TheyhelpedverygreatlytodevelopthetradeoftheLevant。Theywerenotavariciousmen，orusurers。

Itisnotinourblood。YourChairman，LordChaldon，whohonoursmesohighlybycallingmehisfriend——hewillassureyouthatwehaveagoodnameintheEast。

Ourbankshavebefriendedthepeople，andneveroppressedorinjuredthem。Forthatreason——Iwillsayperhapsforthatreason——wehaveneverbecomeaveryrichhouse。

ItispossibletonamebankerswhohavemadelargefortunesoutofEgypt。Itwasdifferentwithus。LordChaldonwilltellyouthatofourownfreewill——mytwobrothersandI——ofourownchoiceweconsentedtoloseafifthofallourpossessions，ratherthancoinintogoldbyforcethetearsandbloodofthewretchedfellaheen。"

"Yes——Ihaveneverknownamorehonourableorhumaneaction，"

putintheMarquis，fervently。

"Andthenmybrothersdie——Polydor，wholivedmostlyatSmyrna，andwhoseestatewaswithdrawnfromthebusinessbyhiswidow，andAugustin，wholivedhereinLondonafter1870，anddied——itisnowsixyearsago。

Heleftason，Robert，whoismynephew，andmypartner。

Heisnowofanage——perhapsthirtyyears。HewasasmallchildwhenhecametoLondon——hehasbecomemoreEnglishthantheEnglishthemselves。Hisactivityandindustryareverygreat；heformsplansofsuchmagnitudeandnumbersthattheywouldcompelhisgrandfathertoturninhiscoffin。Iaminindifferenthealth。

IlivemuchatHomburgandMarienbadandatCairo。

Practicallyspeaking，Ihaveretiredfrombusiness。

Thereremainbranchesofourhouse——inseveralplaces——buttheLondonhousehasbecomethecentreofallthings——andRoberthasbecometheLondonhouse。ThisImakeplaintoyourmind，doI，Mr。Thorpe？"

Theother，withhischinsunkwithinthecollarofhiswhitewaistcoat，andscrutinizingthenarratorwithasteadfastthoughimpassiveglance，madethefaintestpossiblenodofassent。

"IhadgreatconfidenceinRobert，"theoldmanwenton。

Hiseyesweredimmingwithtears，andhisvoicequavereduncertainly。"Hisplansseemedwise，eveniftheyriskedmorethanformerly。Theconditionsofbusinessarewhollyalteredsincemyyouth——anditwasbest，Ithought，tomakeRobertfreetoactundertheseconditions，whichheunderstoodmuchbetterthanIcouldpretendtodo。ThusitwasthatwhenhesaiditwasnecessaryforFromentinBrotherstobelongtotheStockExchange，Ididnotobject。Hewasactiveandboldandclever，andhewasinthethickofthefight。Thereforeheshouldbethejudgeinallthings。Andthatisourruin。

InthetimeoftheSouthAfricanexcitement，hewonagreatdealofmoney。Thenhelostitallandmore。

Thengamblingbegan，andhisfortuneswentnowup，nowdown，butalways，ashisbooksshowtomenow——sinkingalittleontheaverage。Hegrewmoreadventurous——morecareless。

Heputmanysmallcountersupondifferentnumbersonthetable。YouknowwhatImean？Andinanaccursedmoment，becauseothergamblersweredoingthesame，hesoldtwothousandofyourshares，withouthavingtheminhishands。

Voila！Hewishesnowtoputabulletthroughhisbrain。

HeproposesthatasthefittingendofFromentinFreres。"

Thorpe，hischinonhisbreast，continuedtoregardthemelancholyfigureoppositewithamoodyeye。Itseemedalongminutebeforehebrokethetensesilencebyasighofdiscomfort。"Idonotdiscussthesethingswithanybody，"

hesaidthen，coldly。"IfIhadknownwhoyouwere，Idon\'tthinkyou\'dhavegotin。"

TheMarquisofChaldonintuitivelystraightenedhimselfinhischair，andturnedtowardthespeakeraglanceofdistressedsurprise。

"Orno——Ibegyourpardon，"Thorpehastenedtoadd，upontheinstanthintofthislook——"thatdoesn\'tconveymymeaning。Ofcourse，ourChairmanbringswhomhepleases。

Hisfriends——asamatterofcourse——areourfriends。

WhatIshouldhavesaidwasthatifthishadbeenmentionedbeforehandtome，Ishouldhaveexplainedthatitwasn\'tpossibletodiscussthatparticularbusiness。"

"But——pardonme"——saidLordChaldon，inaquiet，verygentle，yetinsistentvoice，whichseemednowtorecalltoitslistenersthefactthatsovereignsandchancellorshadintheirdayhadattentiveearsforitstones——"pardonme，butwhyshoulditnotbepossible？"

Thorpefrowneddoubtfully，andshiftedhispositioninhischair。"WhatcouldIsay，ifitwerediscussed？"

hemadevagueretort。"I\'mmerelyoneoftheDirectors。

YouareourChairman，butyouseehehasn\'tfounditofanyusetodiscussitwithyou。Therearehardandfastrulesaboutthesethings。Theyruntheirnaturalcourse。

Youarenotabusinessman，myLord——"

"Oh，IthinkImaybecalleda\'businessman，\'"

interposedthenobleman，suavely。"TheywouldtellyousoinCalcutta，Ithink，andinCairotoo。

Whenoneconsidersit，Ihavetransactedagreatdealofbusiness——onthebehalfofotherpeople。

Andifyouwillpermitme——Idonotimputeindirection，ofcourse——butyourremarkseemstorequireafootnote。

ItistruethatIamChairmanoftheBoardonwhichyouareaDirector——butitisnotquitethewholetruth。

IasChairmanknowabsolutelynothingaboutthismatter。

AsIunderstandthesituation，itisnotinyourcapacityasaDirectorthatyouknowanythingaboutiteither。

Yet——"

Hepaused，asifsuddenlyconsciousofsomeimproprietyinthisdomesticfranknessbeforeathirdparty，andThorpepouncedthroughhiswell-manneredhesitationwiththeswiftnessofabirdofprey。

"Letmesuggest，"hesaidroundly，liftinghisheadandpoisingahandtoholdattention，whilehethoughtuponwhatitwasheshouldsuggest——"thisiswhatIwouldsay。

Itseemsratherirregular，doesn\'tit？todebatethematterinthepresenceofanoutsider。Youseeityourself。

ThatispartlywhatImeant。NowIhavemetMr。Fromentin，"

hegavethenameitsEnglishvowelswithanobstinateemphasis，"andIhaveheardhisstatement。Youhaveheardittoo。

Ifhewishestolaymorefactsbeforeus，why，wellandgood。

ButthenIwouldsuggestthatheleavethematterinourhands，todiscussandlookintobetweenourselves。

Thatseemstoyouthepropercourse，doesn\'tit，LordChaldon？"

TheFrenchbankerhadbeenstudyingwithstrainedacutenessthebiglymphaticmaskoftheDirector，withsundrysharpglancesasideattheChairman。

Thenervouschangesonhisalert，meagreoldfaceshowedhowintentlyhefollowedeveryphaseoftheirtalk。

AcertainsardonicperceptionofevilintheaircurledonhislipwhenhesawtheMarquisaccedewithabowandwaveofthehandtoThorpe\'sproposition。Thenhemadehisbowinturn，andputthebestfacepossibleuponthematter。

"NaturallyIconsultyourconvenience——andtheproprieties，"hesaid，withaneffectofproudhumility。"Therearebutafewotherfactstosubmit。Mynephewhasalreadypaid，indifferencesuponthoseaccursedtwothousandshares，asumofnearly30，000pounds。Ihavethefiguresinmypocket——buttheyarefixedinmyheadaswell。

Twenty-eightthousandfivehundred，thosedifferencesalreadyamountto，nottospeakofinterest。

Atthelastsettlement，August1st，thepricepersharewas15pounds。Thatwouldmake30，000poundsmore，ifweboughtnow——oratotalofpractically60，000pounds。

Ehbien！Ibegfortheprivilegeofbeingallowedtobuythesesharesnow。Itisanunpleasantconfessiontomake，butthefirmofFromentinFrereswillbemadeverypoorbythislossof60，000pounds。Itwasnotalwaysso，butitissonow。MynephewRoberthasbroughtitintothatcondition。Youseemyshameatthisadmission。

Withallmyownmeans，andwithhissister\'smarriageportion，wecanmakeupthissumof30，000pounds，andstillenablethefirmtoremaininexistence。Ihavegoneoverthebooksverypainstakingly，sinceIarrivedinLondon。

Itcanbekeptafloat，anditcanbebroughtbacktosafeandmoderatelyprofitablecourses——ifnothingworsehappens。Withanothersixweekslikethelast，thiswillnotbeatallpossible。Weshallhavethecupofdishonourthrustbetweenourteeth。Thatwillbetheendofeverything。"

M。Fromentinfinishedintremulous，gravetones。

AfterlookingwithblurredeyesforamomentintoThorpe\'sface，hebowedhishead，andsoftlyswayedthekneesuponwhichhisthin，darkhandsmaintainedtheirclutch。

Noteventherevelationofhairquitewhiteattheroots，undulywideningthetrackofpartingonthetopofhisdyedhead，couldrobthismovementofitsmournfuldignity。

Thorpe，afteramoment\'spause，tookapencilandpaperfromthedesk，andmadeacalculation。Hebithislipsandfrownedatthesightofthesefigures，andsetdownsomeothers，whichseemedtopleasehimnomore。

Then，withasuddengestureasofimpatience，herosetohisfeet。

"Howmuchisthatsister\'smarriageportionyouspokeof？"

heasked，ratherbrusquely。

TheFrenchgentlemanhadalsorisen。Helookedwithanairofastonishmentathisquestioner，andthenhardenedhisface。

"Iapologizeformentioningit，"hesaid，withbrevity。

"Onedoesnotspeakoffamilyaffairs。"

"Iaskedyouhowmuchitwas，"pursuedThorpe，inamasterfultone。

"Amandoesn\'twanttorobagirlofhermarriageportion。"

"IthinkImustnotansweryou，"theotherreplied，hesitatingly。"Itwasthefaultofmyemotiontointroducethesubject。Prayleavetheyoungladyoutofaccount。"

"ThenI\'venothingmoretosay，"Thorpedeclared，andseatedhimselfagainwithsuperfluousenergy。

Hescowledforalittleatthedisorderofhisdesk，andthenflungforthanangryexplanation。"Ifyouevadefairquestionslikethat，howcanyouexpectthatIwillgooutofmywaytohelpyou？"

"Oh，permitme，Mr。Thorpe"——theMarquisintervenedsoothingly——"Ithinkyoumisapprehend。Myfriend，Iamsure，wishedtoevadenothing。Hehadtheideathathewasatfaultin——inalludingtoapurelydomesticmatteras——asa——whatshallIsay？——asapleaforyourconsideration。"Heturnedtotheoldbanker。

"Youwillnotrefusetomentionthesumtome，willyou，myfriend？"

M。Fromentinshruggedhisshoulders。"Itistenthousandpounds，"hereplied，almostcurtly。

Thorpewasseeminglymollified。"Verywell，then，"hesaid。

"Iwillsellyou2，000sharesattenpounds。"

Theothersexchangedawonderinglook。

"Monsieur，"thebankerstammered——"Iseeyourmeaning。

Youwillforgiveme——itisverywellmeantindeedbyyou——butitwasnotmyproposition。Themarket-priceisfifteenpounds——andwewerepreparedtopayit。"

Thorpelaughedinaperemptory，gustyway。"Butyoucan\'tpaymorethanIask！"hetoldhim，withroughgeniality。

"Come，ifIletyouandyournephewinoutofthecold，whatkindofmen-folkwouldyoubetoinsistthatyournieceshouldbeleftoutside？AsIsaid，Idon\'twanthermoney。

Idon\'twantanywoman\'smoney。IfI\'mgoingtobenicetotherestofthefamily，what\'stheobjectiontomybeingnicetoher？"

"Monsieur，"saidtheFrenchman，afteraninstant\'sreflection，"Ioffernone。Ididnotatthemomentperceivethespiritofyourwords，butIrecognizenowthatitwasdelicacyitself。

Itenderyouthemostprofoundthanks——forALLthefamily。"

AftersomefurtherconversationtheelderFromentintookhisdeparture。LordChaldonapparentlyproposedtoaccompanyhim，butThorpebeggedhimtoremain，andheputasidehishatoncemoreandresumedhisseat。

Thorpewalkedaboutalittle，withhishandsinhispockets，inarestlessway。"Ifitisn\'tunpleasanttoyou，IthinkI\'lllightacigar，"hesaidsuddenly，andmovedovertothecabinet。Hepouredoutadrinkofneatbrandy，aswell，andfurtivelyswallowedit。Thenhecameback，precededbyacloudofsmoke。

"Itwentterriblyagainstthegrain，"hesaid，witharuefullaugh。"I\'dsworntoletnoJewoffwithaninchofhideleftonhim——andherethreeofthemhavebeenwheedledoutofmygripalready。"

"Jews？"exclaimedtheMarquis，muchpuzzled。

"Didyou——didyouthinkFromentinwasaJew？Godblessme！he\'snomoreonethanIam！Why，notevensomuch，forthereISaHerschellinmypedigree。Why，dearman，theywereCrusaders！"

Thorpesmiledsomewhatsheepishly。"Inevernoticedmuch，"

hesaid。"Itwasaforeign-lookingname。Itookitforgranted。"

LordChaldonbenthisbrowsalittle。"Yes-s"——hemurmured，meditatively。"I\'vehearditmentionedthatyourenterprisewassuspectedofananti-Semitictwist。

Doyoumindmytalkingalittlewithyouaboutthat？"

"Oh，notatall，"theotheransweredwithlanguidacquiescence，asheseatedhimself。

CHAPTERXVII

LORDCHALDON\'SinstructivelittlemonologueonthesubjectoftheHebrewinfinanceaffordedThorpeacertainpleasure，whichwasinitscharacter，perhaps，moresocialthanintellectual。

Itwasbothaflatteringandstrikingexperiencetohavesoeminentamanatthesideofone\'sdesk，revealingforone\'sguidancethesecretsofsovereignsandcabinets。

Greatnameswerementionedinthecourseofthisdissertation——mentionedwiththeauthoritativeeaseofonewhodinedwithprincesandprimeministers——andThorpefeltthathesharedinthedistinctionofthisfamiliaritywiththeaugust。Hewasinthepositionofpayingasalarytothiscourtlyoldnoblemanandstatesman，whocouldtellhimofhisownintimateknowledgehowEmperorsconversedwithoneanother；howthePopefidgetedinhisornate-carvedchairwhenthevisitortalkedonunwelcometopics；

howaQueenandanopera-bouffedancerwagedanobscureandenvenomedbattleforthepossessionofacounting-housestrongbox，andintheoutcomeanationwasarmedwithinferioroldmusketsinsteadofmodernweapons，andthegirlgotthedifferenceexpressedinblackpearls。

Thesereminiscencesseemedtoaltertheatmosphere，andeventheappearance，oftheBoardRoom。Itwasalmostasiftheapartmentitselfwasbecominghistoric，likethosechamberstheypointedouttothetouristwhereincrownedheadshadslept。ThemanneroftheMarquislentitselfcharminglytothisillusion。Hespokeinafacile，mellifluousvoice，andasfluentlyasifhehadbeenatworkforalongtimepreparingadissertationonthissubject，insteadoftakingitupnowbychance。

Inhistone，inhisgestures，inthesustainedfriendlinessofhisfacialexpressions，therewasapalpabledesiretopleasehisauditor——andThorpegavemoreheedtothisthantothethreadofthediscourse。ThefactsthatheheardnowabouttheJewishmastersofinternationalfinanceweredoubtlesssurprisingandsuggestivetoadegree，butsomehowtheyfailedtostimulatehisimagination。

LordChaldon\'sstatesmanlikediscussionoftheusestowhichtheyputthisvastpoweroftheirs；hisconvictionthatonthewholetheywerebeneficent；hisdreadoftheconsequencesofanyorganizedattempttotakethispowerawayfromthem，andputitintootherandlesscapablehands——nodoubtitwasallverycleverandwise，butThorpedidnotcareforit。

Attheendhenodded，and，withalumberingmovement，alteredhispositioninhischair。ThefixedideaofdespoilingRostocker，Aronson，Ganz，Rothfoere，Lewis，andMendeloftheirlastsixpencehadbeeninnowiseaffectedbythisentertaininghomily。

Thereappearedtobenoneedofpretendingthatithadbeen。Ifheknewanythingofmenandtheirmanners，histitledfriendwouldnotobjecttoachangeoftopic。

"LordChaldon，"hesaidabruptly，"we\'vetalkedenoughaboutgeneralmatters。Whileyou\'rehere，wemightaswellgointothesubjectoftheCompany。

Ourannualmeetingisprettynearlydue——butIthinkitwouldbebettertohaveitpostponed。Yousee，thisextraordinarydevelopmentofdealinginoursharesontheStockExchangehasoccupiedmyentireattention。

TherehasbeennotimeforarrangingthemachineryofoperationsonourpropertyinMexico。It\'sstillthere；

it\'sallright。Butforthetimebeing，theoperationsinLondonaresomuchmoreimportant。Weshouldhavenothingtotellourshareholders，ifwebroughtthemtogether，exceptthattheirone-poundsharesareworthfifteenpounds，andtheyknowthatalready。"

TheMarquishadlistenedwithashrewdlyattentiveeyeuponthespeaker\'sface。Thenervousaffectionofhiseyelidsgavehimnowaminuteofblinkingleisureinwhichtoframehiscomment。"Ihavenotheardthatmysharesareworthfifteenpounds，"hesaidthen，withadirect，meaninglittlesmile。

"No，"Thorpelaughed，leaningcomfortablybackinhischair。

"That\'swhatIwanttotalktoyouabout。Yousee，whentheCompanywasstarted，itwasimpossibletoforeseethatthisdealinginourordinaryshareswouldswampeverythingelse。Ifthingshadtakentheirusualcourse，andwehadpaidourattentiontoMexicoinsteadoftotheLondonStockExchange，mydeferredvendor\'sshares，twothousandofwhichyouhold，wouldbythistimebeworthagoodbit。Asitis，unfortunately，theyareoutsideofthedeal。Theyhavenothingtodowiththemovementoftheordinaryshares。Butofcourseyouunderstandallthat。"

LordChaldonassentedbyaneloquentnod，atonceresignedandhopeful。

"Well——thatiscontrarytoallmyexpectations——andintentions，"