The Way We Live Now

the smartest private rooms of the great railway hotel at Liverpool, and they were addressed to a young Englishman who was sitting opposite to him. Between them there was a table covered with maps, s

e, and Montague, was the American, and the Englishman

even speak to

tifies you in introducing me. We are not going to ask you

ught y

e that. The moneyed men would go in with him at once, because they know that he understands the game and has got the pluck. A man who has done what he has by financing in Europe - by George! there's no limit to what he might do with us. We're a bigger people than any of you and have more room. We

rtners, I think I ought to let you know that many

n his mouth, and then closed one eye. 'There is always

na into the territory of the Mexican Republic, run by the city of Mexico, and come out on the gulf at the port of Vera Cruz. Mr Fisker admitted at once that it was a great undertaking, acknowledged that the distance might be perhaps something over 2000 miles, a

liked Fisker - and perhaps not the less so because when in California he had never found himself able to resist the man's good humour, audacity, and cleverness combined. He had found himself talked into agreeing with any project which Mr Fisker might have in hand. It was altogether against the grai

s clearly his idea that fortunes were to be made out of the concern before a spadeful of earth had been moved. If brilliantly printed programmes might avail anything, with gorgeous maps, and beautiful little pictures of trains running into tunnels beneath snowy mountains and coming out of them on the margin of sunlit lakes, Mr Fisker had certainly done much. But Paul, when he saw all these pretty things, could not keep his mind from thinking whence had come the money to pay for them. Mr Fisker had declared that he had come over to obtain his partner's consent, but it seemed to that partner that a great deal had been done without any consent. And Paul's fears on this hand were not allayed by finding that on all these beautiful papers he himself was described as one of the agents and general m

ome of the mi

ut an agen

erous? What check

n there is such a thing as this on hand a trum

ven't s

we've arranged a

taken the m

e you weren't there, and so the two resident partners acted for t

ut my ow

ousand dollars a year. We've got the concession from the United States Government through the territories, and we're in correspo

e money to

all these undertakings? If we can float the shares, the money'll come

ousand pounds!'

ell at a premium. If we can run them up even to 110, there would be three hundred thousand dollars. B

t know

and you can sign it.' Whereupon Mr F

l, London. M

AR

t work of the age - namely, the South Central Pacific and Mexican Railway, which is to give direct communication between San Francisco and the Gulf of Mexico. He is very anxious to see you upon his arrival, as he is aware that

elmotte for a very pleasant even

. I shall remain here, superintending th

he honou

r S

ithfull

t I would superintend the

hn Bull Englishmen are so full of scruples that you lose as

of Paul's uncle as to have been allowed to do what he liked with the funds of the partnership, Paul could not stop it. On the following morning they went up to London together, and in the course of the afternoon Mr Fisker presented himself in Abchurch Lane. The letter written at Liverpoo

d the world around him therefore was not repelled. Fisker, on the other hand, was a shining little man - perhaps about forty years of age, with a well-twisted moustache, greasy brown hair, which was becoming bald at the top, good-looking if his features were analysed, but insignificant in appearance. He was gorgeously dressed, with a silk waistcoat, a

as no business to which he would refuse his co-operation on certain terms. But he had never burdened himself with a partner in the usual sense of the term. Here Fisker found three or four clerks seated at desks, and was desired to walk upstairs. The steps were narrow and crooked, and the rooms were small and irregular. Her

, 'the gentleman who has done me th

intance with a great many gents whom I don't remember afterwards. My partner

man called Sir

'Our account here in London is kept with the City and West End Joint Stock. But I have only just arrived, and as my chief object

I do for you

res before Mr Melmotte's eyes, taking care that Mr Melmotte should see how often the names of Fisker, Montague, and Montague, reappeared upon them. As Mr Melmotte read the documents, Fisker from time to time put in a word. But the words had no reference at all to the future

n't get it taken up in your

lmotte, that nothing encourages this kind of thing like competition. When they hear at St. Louis and Chicago that the thing is alive in London, th

r have

States Congress. We're to have the land for nothing, of course, and a grant of o

to be made over

not ask the question in reference to any value that he might attach to the possession of such lan

ou want me to

a spot on which it was indicated that there was, or was to be, a chairman of

your directors

one of the Directors of the City and West End. But we would leave it all to you - as also the amount of stock you would like to take yourself. If you gav

t with a certain amou

andages. Look at what we've done already, sir, by having our limbs pretty free. Look a

' The interview was over, and Mr Fisker was contented with it. Had Mr Melmotte not intended at least to think of it, he would not have given ten minutes to the subject. After all, what w

Carbury, Samuel Cohenlupe, Esq., Member of Parliament for Staines, a gentleman of the Jewish persuasion, Lord Nidderdale, who was also in Parliament, and Mr Paul Montague. It may be thought that the directory was not strong, and that but little