re tainted
and they must exchange it for something useless and inconvenient as soon
as possible. They know, by instinct, I suppose, that a chiffonier or a
Chippendale bedroom suite is not legal tender for stock. They feel
they've _got_ something. It is a truism, I suppose, to say that women
are implacable realists.

"Mrs. Evans was. And she knew, too, that I was of her opinion in this
matter. She never raised her eyes to look at me; but she knew. Her lips
never relaxed from the rigid line they had assumed when I came down, as
though she was still waiting, in severe patience, for me to do my
obvious duty, and corroborate her opinion.

"'What is he putting into it?' I asked, casually.

"'He's the vendor,' retorted Jack, who had picked up the vernacular
pretty quickly. 'He turns over his options and his share in this
mail-boat for ten founder's shares and a seat on the board, see? Then,
when the big company's formed, he takes up shares in that, and is voted
a salary of twenty thousand drachmas a year as financial adviser. That's
how Nikitos put it to me. Nikitos knows the country and he says there's
any amount of capital available once the thing gets started. These
tobacco growers don't know what to do with their money--keep it in those
big Turkish trousers, most of it, he reckons. The great thing is to get
in at the beginning. What do you say? He wants a ship-master and he
wants a man with engineering experience to overlook the shipping
business. I told Nikitos I'd talk it over with you. He says the skipper
of that Swedish ship that's on the same charter as us is putting three
hundred into it--seven thousand five hundred drachmas.'

"'But what did Macedoine say?' I persisted.

"Oh, I didn't see _him_,' admitted Jack, looking at the floor between
his fat knees. 'Nikitos promised to arrange an interview if we decided
to come in.'

"There it was, you see, the touch of the Master. I could not help a
silent tribute of admiration to Captain Macedoine for this remarkable
reserve, this exquisite demonstration of psychological insight. A man of
great affairs! A financial magnate, graciously extending to us the
privilege of participating in his immense schemes. 'An interview could
be arranged!' It was superb, this method of mesmerizing all the
simple-minded skippers and chiefs who came in the iron-ore ships to
Ipsilon. I had a brief but vivid vision of us all ashore in Saloniki
squabbling and bluffing each other, while Maced