3/64. Anyhow, by the time I had worked it out and
decided that it was slightly less, they were at 61/64, and one had the
same trouble all over again. At 61/64 I left them for a time; and when
I next read the financial column they were at 15/16, which still seemed
to be fairly near to 1. And even when at last, after many months, I
found them down to 7/8 I was not seriously alarmed, but felt that it was
due to some little local trouble (as that the manager had fallen down
the main shaft and was preventing the gold being shot out properly), and
that, when the obstruction had been removed, Jaguars would go up to 1
again.

But they didn't. They continued to subside. When they had subsided to
1/2 I woke up. My dream of financial glory was over. I had lost my money
and my faith in the City; well, let them go. With an effort I washed
Jaguars out of my mind. Henceforward they were nothing to me.

And then, months after, Andrew came on the scene. At lunch one day he
happened to mention that he had been talking to his broker.

"Do you often talk to your broker?" I asked in admiration. It sounded so
magnificent.

"Often."

"I haven't got a broker to talk to. When you next chat to yours, I wish
you'd lead the conversation round to Jaguars and see what he says."

"Why, have you got some?"

"Yes, but they're no good. Have a cigarette, won't you?"

Next morning to my amazement I got a telegram from Andrew. "Can get you
ten shillings for Jaguars. Wire if you will sell, and how many."

It was really a shock to me. When I had asked Andrew to mention Jaguars
to his broker it was solely in the hope of hearing some humorous City
comment on their futility--one of those crisp jests for which the Stock
Exchange is famous. I had no idea that his broker might like to buy them
from me.

I wired back: "Sell fifty, quick."

Next day he told me he had sold them.

"That's all right," I said cheerfully; "they're his. He can watch them
go up and down. When do I get my twenty-five pounds?" To save
twenty-five pounds from the wreck was wonderful.

"Not for a month; and, of course, you don't deliver the shares till
then."

"What do you mean, 'deliver the shares'?" I asked in alarm. "I haven't
got the gold-mine here; it's in Africa or somewhere. Must I go out
and----"

"But you've got a certificate for them."

My heart sank.

"Have I?" I whispered. "Good Lord, I wonder where it is."

I went home and looked. I looked for two days; I s