know whence these panics arise, or why they come, or
whither they go. But when they do come, they are like a storm at sea.
It is only the strong ships that can stand the fury of the winds and
waves. And then the buffeting which a man gets leaves him only half
the man he was. I've had it very hard this time.'

'I suppose you are getting right now.'

'Yes;--I am getting right. I am not in any fear, if you mean that. I
don't mind telling you everything as it is settled now that you are to
be Marie's husband. I know that you are honest, and that if you could
hurt me by repeating what I say you wouldn't do it.'

'Certainly I would not.'

'You see I've no partner,--nobody that is bound to know my affairs.
My wife is the best woman in the world, but is utterly unable to
understand anything about it. Of course I can't talk freely to Marie.
Cohenlupe whom you see so much with me is all very well,--in his way,
but I never talk over my affairs with him. He is concerned with me in
one or two things,--our American railway for instance, but he has no
interest generally in my house. It is all on my own shoulders, and I
can tell you the weight is a little heavy. It will be the greatest
comfort to me in the world if I can get you to have an interest in the
matter.'

'I don't suppose I could ever really be any good at business,' said
the modest young lord.

'You wouldn't come and work, I suppose. I shouldn't expect that. But
I should be glad to think that I could tell you how things are going
on. Of course you heard all that was said just before the election.
For forty-eight hours I had a very bad time of it then. The fact
was that Alf and they who were supporting him thought that they
could carry the election by running me down. They were at it for
a fortnight,--perfectly unscrupulous as to what they said or what
harm they might do me and others. I thought that very cruel. They
couldn't get their man in, but they could and did have the effect of
depreciating my property suddenly by nearly half a million of money.
Think what that is!'

'I don't understand how it could be done.'

'Because you don't understand how delicate a thing is credit. They
persuaded a lot of men to stay away from that infernal dinner, and
consequently it was spread about the town that I was ruined. The
effect upon shares which I held was instantaneous and tremendous. The
Mexican railway were at 117, and they fell from that in two days to
something quite