ted for
a lot on a prospectus. I picked out one that I'd heard was
reasonable--it'd been a splendid name if I could have got it--but he
calmly said his price was two thousand pounds, all cash down--and I came
away. Finally I got a fellow who hadn't done much of anything yet, and
so wasn't so stiff about his figure. He agreed to take 500 pounds cash,
and 2,000 in shares. It was God's luck that I hit on him, for he turned
out, at the pinch, to be the one man in a million for me. But I'll tell
you about him later. He's the Broker, mind; you mustn't forget him.
Well, then, he and I got a Solicitor--he took 200 pounds cash, but he
had to have 2,000 shares--and the firm of Auditors--they were 100 pounds
cash and 1,000 shares. Every company has to have these people pasted on
to it, by law. Oh yes, and then you must have your Bankers. You
don't pay them anything, though, thank God! Well, then, there was
the machinery complete, all ready to start. I took a handsome set of
offices, and furnished them up to the nines--but that I was able to do
pretty well on credit. You see, ready money was getting short.

"And now came the biggest pull of all. There was the press to be
worked."

He spoke as if there were no other papers in London but the financial
journals.

"I didn't sleep much while that was being fixed up. You've got no more
idea of what the press means, Louisa, than you have of--of a coil of
snakes thawing out hungry in the spring. Why, if one blackmailer came
to me, I swear a hundred did. They scared the life out of me, the first
month or so. And then there's a swarm of advertising agents, who say
they can keep these blackmailers off, if you'll make it worth their
while. But they all wanted too much money for me--and for a while I was
at my wits' ends. At last I got a fellow--he's not behaved so badly, all
things considered--who had some sporting blood in his veins, and he was
willing to do the whole thing for 5,000 pounds, if I could pay 1,500
pounds down, and the rest in shares. But that was just what I couldn't
do, you see, so finally he took 1,000 pounds down and 5,000 in
shares--and as I say he's done it tolerably well. There was one editor
that I had to square personally--that is to say, 100 pounds cash--it
had to be in sovereigns, for notes could be traced--and a call of 2,000
shares at par,--he's the boss pirate that everybody has to square--and
of course there were odd ten-pound notes here and there, but as a rul