when the world shook-第3节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



venomously　run　that　vast　numbers　of　people　concluded　that　I　was　a

thief　of　the　lowest　order。　Lastly；　my　father；　from　whom　the

secret　could　no　longer　be　kept；　sternly　disapproved　of　both　these

books　which　I　admit　were　written　from　a　very　radical　and　somewhat

anti…church　point　of　view。　The　result　was　our　first　quarrel　and

before　it　was　made　up；　he　died　suddenly。





Now　again　fastidiousness　and　my　lack　of　perseverance　did　their

work；　and　solemnly　I　swore　that　I　would　never　write　another　book；

an　oath　which　I　have　kept　till　this　moment；　at　least　so　far　as

publication　is　concerned；　and　now　break　only　because　I　consider

it　my　duty　so　to　do　and　am　not　animated　by　any　pecuniary　object。



Thus　came　to　an　end　my　second　attempt　at　carving　out　a　career。

By　now　I　had　grown　savage　and　cynical；　rather　revengeful　also；　I

fear。　Knowing　myself　to　possess　considerable　abilities　in　sundry

directions；　I　sat　down；　as　it　were；　to　think　things　over　and

digest　my　past　experiences。　Then　it　was　that　the　truth　of　a　very

ancient　adage　struck　upon　my　mind；　namely；　that　money　is　power。

Had　I　sufficient　money　I　could　laugh　at　unjust　critics　for

example；　indeed　they　or　their　papers　would　scarcely　dare　to

criticise　me　for　fear　lest　it　should　be　in　my　power　to　do　them　a

bad　turn。　Again　I　could　follow　my　own　ideas　in　life　and　perhaps

work　good　in　the　world；　and　live　in　such　surroundings　as

commended　themselves　to　me。　It　was　as　clear　as　daylight；　buthow

to　make　the　money？



I　had　some　capital　as　the　result　of　my　father's　death；　about

？；000　in　all；　plus　a　little　more　that　my　two　books　had　brought

in。　In　what　way　could　I　employ　it　to　the　best　advantage？　I

remembered　that　a　cousin　of　my　father　and　therefore　my　own；　was　a

successful　stock…broker；　also　that　there　had　been　some　affection

between　them。　I　went　to　him；　he　was　a　good；　easy…natured　man　who

was　frankly　glad　to　see　me；　and　offered　to　put　？；000　into　his

business；　for　I　was　not　minded　to　risk　every　thing　I　had；　if　he

would　give　me　a　share　in　the　profits。　He　laughed　heartily　at　my

audacity。



〃Why；　my　boy；〃　he　said；　〃being　totally　inexperienced　at　this

game；　you　might　lose　us　more　than　that　in　a　month。　But　I　like

your　courage；　I　like　your　courage；　and　the　truth　is　that　I　do

want　help。　I　will　think　it　over　and　write　to　you。〃



He　thought　it　over　and　in　the　end　offered　to　try　me　for　a　year

at　a　fixed　salary　with　a　promise　of　some　kind　of　a　partnership　if

I　suited　him。　Meanwhile　my　？；000　remained　in　my　pocket。



I　accepted；　not　without　reluctance　since　with　the　impatience　of

youth　I　wanted　everything　at　once。　I　worked　hard　in　that　office

and　soon　mastered　the　business；　for　my　knowledge　of　figuresI

had　taken　a　first…class　mathematical　degree　at　collegecame　to

my　aid；　as　in　a　way　did　my　acquaintance　with　Law　and　Literature。

Moreover　I　had　a　certain　aptitude　for　what　is　called　high

finance。　Further；　Fortune；　as　usual；　showed　me　a　favourable　face。



In　one　year　I　got　the　partnership　with　a　small　share　in　the

large　profits　of　the　business。　In　two　the　partner　above　me

retired；　and　I　took　his　place　with　a　third　share　of　the　firm。　In

three　my　cousin；　satisfied　that　it　was　in　able　hands；　began　to

cease　his　attendance　at　the　office　and　betook　himself　to

gardening　which　was　his　hobby。　In　four　I　paid　him　out　altogether；

although　to　do　this　I　had　to　borrow　money　on　our　credit；　for　by

agreement　the　title　of　the　firm　was　continued。　Then　came　that

extraordinary　time　of　boom　which　many　will　remember　to　their

cost。　I　made　a　bold　stroke　and　won。　On　a　certain　Saturday　when

the　books　were　made　up；　I　found　that　after　discharging　all

liabilities；　I　should　not　be　worth　more　than　？0；000。　On　the

following　Saturday　but　two　when　the　books　were　made　up；　I　was

worth　？53；000！　L'appetit　vient　en　mangeant。　It　seemed　nothing

to　me　when　so　many　were　worth　millions。



For　the　next　year　I　worked　as　few　have　done；　and　when　I　struck

a　balance　at　the　end　of　it；　I　found　that　on　the　most　conservative

estimate　I　was　the　owner　of　a　million　and　a　half　in　hard　cash；　or

its　equivalent。　I　was　so　tired　out　that　I　remember　this　discovery

did　not　excite　me　at　all。　I　felt　utterly　weary　of　all　wealth…

hunting　and　of　the　City　and　its　ways。　Moreover　my　old

fastidiousness　and　lack　of　perseverance　re…asserted　themselves。　I

reflected；　rather　late　in　the　day　perhaps；　on　the　ruin　that　this

speculation　was　bringing　to　thousands；　of　which　some　lamentable

instances　had　recently　come　to　my　notice；　and　once　more

considered　whether　it　were　a　suitable　career　for　an　upright　man。

I　had　wealth；　why　should　I　not　take　it　and　enjoy　life？



Alsoand　here　my　business　acumen　came　in；　I　was　sure　that

these　times　could　not　last。　It　is　easy　to　make　money　on　a　rising

market；　but　when　it　is　falling　the　matter　is　very　different。　In

five　minutes　I　made　up　my　mind。　I　sent　for　my　junior　partners；

for　I　had　taken　in　two；　and　told　them　that　I　intended　to　retire

at　once。　They　were　dismayed　both　at　my　loss；　for　really　I　was　the

firm；　and　because；　as　they　pointed　out；　if　I　withdrew　all　my

capital；　there　would　not　be　sufficient　left　to　enable　them　to

carry　on。



One　of　them；　a　blunt　and　honest　man；　said　to　my　face　that　it

would　be　dishonourable　of　me　to　do　so。　I　was　inclined　to　answer

him　sharply；　then　remembered　that　his　words　were　true。



〃Very　well；〃　I　said；　〃I　will　leave　you　？00；000　on　which　you

shall　pay　me　five　per　cent　interest；　but　no　share　of　the

profits。〃



On　these　terms　we　dissolved　the　partnership　and　in　a　year　they

had　lost　the　？00；000；　for　the　slump　came　with　a　vengeance。　It

saved　them；　however；　and　to…day　they　are　earning　a　reasonable

income。　But　I　have　never　asked　them　for　that　？00；000。







Chapter　II



Bastin　and　Bickley





Behold　me　once　more　a　man　without　an　occupation；　but　now　the

possessor　of　about　？00；000。　It　was　a　very　considerable　fortune；

if　not　a　large　one　in　England；　nothing　like　the　millions　of　which

I　had　dreamed；　but　still　enough。　To　make　the　most　of　it　and　to

be　sure　that　it　remained；　I　invested　it　very　well；　mostly　in

large　mortgages　at　four　per　cent　which；　if　the　security　is　good；

do　not　depreciate　in　capital　value。　Never　again　did　I　touch　a

single　speculative　stock；　who　desired　to　think　no　more　about

money。　It　was　at　this　time　that　I　bought　the　Fulcombe　property。

It　cost　me　about　？20；000　of　my　capital；　or　with　alterations；

repairs；　etc。；　say　？50；000；　on　which　sum　it　may　pay　a　net　two

and　a　half　per　cent；　not　more。



This　？；700　odd　I　have　always　devoted　to　the　upkeep　of　the

place；　which　is　therefore　in　first…rate　order。　The　rest　I　live

on；　or　save。



These　arrangements；　with　the　beautifying　and　furnishing　of　the

house　and　the　restoration　of　the　church　in　memory　of　my　father；

occupied　and　amused　me　for　a　year　or　so；　but　when　they　were

finished　time　began　to　hang　heavy　on　my　hands。　What　was　the　use

of　possessing　about　？0；000　a　year　when　there　was　nothing　upon

which　it　could　be　spent？　For　after　all　my　own　wants　were　few　and

simple　and　the　acquisition　of　valuable　pictures　and　costly

furniture　is　limited　by　space。　Oh！　in　my　small　way　I　was　like

the　weary　King　Ecclesiast。　For　I　too　made　me　great　works　and　had

possessions　of　great　and　small　cattle　（I　tried　farming　and　lost

money　over　it！）　and　gathered　me　silver　and　gold　and　the　peculiar

treasure　of　kings；　which　I　presume　means　whatever　a　man　in

authority　chiefly　desires；　and　so　forth。　But　〃behold　all　was

vanity　and　vexation　of　spirit；　and　there　was　no　profit　under　the

sun。〃



So；　notwithstanding　my　wealth　and　health　and　the　deference

which　is　the　rich　man's　portion；　especially　when　the　limit　of　his

riches　is　not　known；　it　came　about　that　I　too　〃hated　life；〃　and

this　when　I　was　not　much　over　thirty。　I　did　not　know　what　to　do；

for　Society　as　the　word　is　generally　understood；　I　had　no　taste；

it　bored　me；　horse…racing　and　cards　I　loathed；　who　had　already

gambled　too　much　on　a　big　scale。　The　killing　of　creatures　under

the　name　of　sport　palled　upon　me；　indeed　I　began　to　doubt　if　it

were　right；　while　the　office　of　a　junior　county　magistrate　in　a

place　where　there　was　no　crime；　only　occupied　me　an　hour　or　two　a

month。



Lastly　my　neighbours　were　few　and　with　all　due　deference　to

them；　extremely　dull。　At　least　I　could　not　understand　them

because　in　them　there　did　not　seem　to　be　anything　to　understand；

and　I　am　quite　certain　that　they　did　not　understand　me。　More；

when　they　came　to　learn　that　I　was　radical　in　my　views　and　had

written　certain　〃dreadful〃　and　somewhat　socialistic　books　in　the

form　of　fiction；　they　both　feared　and　mistrusted　me　as　an　enemy

to　their　particular　section　of　the　race。　As　I　had　not　married　and

showed　no　inclination　to　do　so；　their　womenkind　also；　out　of

their　intimate　knowledge；　proclaimed　that　I　led　an　immoral　life；

though　a　little　reflection　would　have　shown　them　that　there　was

no　one　in　the　neighbourhood　which　for　a　time　I　seldom　left；　wh