Barry Pain

“ And he had accomplished everything single-handed; he was unmarried and had never had a partner in his business; he had never slapped anybody on the shoulder; he had never asked anybody to take a drink; he played his own game, and he played it for money and for nothing else but money; he never wanted to live in a better house, or to belong to a smart club, or to even wear a better coat—and he was worse dressed than his junior clerk; he never attended a theatre; he did not care about yachting, and he thought racing immoral. ”

“ Joshua assented, a little impatiently. "It is pretty certain that the Canon would have got nothing anyhow; Tablett will marry. These old idiots get flattered by the apparent liking of some young girl; and there must be any amount of women after him." ”

“ Soames," said Tablett, furiously. "At least, you'd have acted foolishly—I did not intend to speak offensively. What's the use of fighting men of straw? You lose your money, for you would never get a penny. out of them. They're a set of rogues and blackmailers. I treat the Mirror as all decent people do—with contempt." ”

“ The Canon had a son, and the son knew a man, and the man had a friend by name Joshua Spalding.
Joshua was a man of some redundant independent means and no profession of a regular kind. He employed himself a good deal in strange speculations. He took a fervent interest in the business of other people, and believed that one day he should make a big coup; he had made one or two little coups already. When, in the circuitous way that I have indicated, he came to hear about James Tablett, he was very interested indeed ”

“ The great lights of the financial world are right in considering it to be a mistake to drink champagne at luncheon.
Spalding remained at the restaurant a little longer, sipping his coffee and reading again an article that he had clipped out of the current issue of the Mirror, It referred to Mr. James Tablett, and was strongly expressed. Spalding was quite content so far. The millionaire was well disposed toward him, and had never for a moment suspected that Spalding knew him to be a millionaire. At this moment Spalding expected to pull off his coup in a month ”