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。