Part 9 (1/2)

”The long and short of it is,” David said at last, ”that you want to make a million dollars, without any trouble, and without any chance of loss. There are a good many others, Marquis.”

”But they have not all the privilege,” was the graceful rejoinder, ”of knowing personally a Goliath of finance. You will pardon the allegory.

I take it from this morning's _Daily Express_.”

”In my career,” David continued, after a moment's pause, ”you would perhaps be surprised to hear that I have done very little speculating.

I have made great purchases of railways, and land through which railways must run, because I knew my job and because I had insight.

The time for that is past now. To make money rapidly one must, as you yourself have already decided, speculate. I can tell you of a speculation in which I have myself indulged, but I do not for a moment pretend that it is a certainty. It was good enough for me to put in two million dollars, and if what I believe happens, my two millions will be forty millions. But there is no certainty.”

The Marquis fidgeted in his chair.

”By what means,” he asked tentatively, ”could I interest myself in this undertaking?”

”By the purchase of shares,” was the prompt reply.

The Marquis considered the point. The matter of purchasing anything presented fundamental difficulties to him!

”Tell me about these shares?” he invited. ”What is the nature of the undertaking?”

”Oil.”

The Marquis grew a little more sanguine. There was an element of fantasy about oil shares. Perhaps they could be bought on paper.

”Large fortunes have been made in oil,” he said. ”Personally, I am a believer in oil. Where are the wells?”

”In Arizona.”

”An excellent locality,” the Marquis continued approvingly. ”What is the present price of the shares?”

”They are dollar shares,” David replied, ”and their present price is par. You may find them quoted in some financial papers, but as practically the entire holding is in my possession, the market for them is limited.”

”Precisely,” the Marquis murmured. ”To come to business, Mr. Thain, are you disposed to part with any?”

David appeared to consider the matter.

”Well, I don't know,” he said, ”I've made something like twenty million dollars out of my railways, and I have about reached that point when speculations cease to attract.”

The Marquis held on to the sides of his chair and struggled against the feeling almost of reverence which he feared might be reflected in his countenance.

”A very desirable sum of money, Mr. Thain,” he conceded.

”It's enough for me,” David acknowledged. ”There are two million shares in the Pluto Oil Company, practically the whole of which stand in my name. If the calculations which the most experienced oil men in the States have worked out materialise, those shares will be worth ten million dollars in four months' time. Let me see,” he went on, ”two hundred and thirty thousand pounds is, roughly speaking, one million, one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. You can have two hundred thousand of my shares, if you like, at a dollar.”

”This is exceedingly kind of you,” the Marquis declared. ”Let me see,”

he reflected, ”two hundred thousand dollars would be--”

”A matter of forty thousand pounds.”