"Buying or selling?"
"Buying."
"Outright or on margin?"
"On margin."
"How many shares have you an option on?"
I hesitated.
"Mr. Harding," I said, "in answering that question I assume that the information is confidential and that it will not be used to my disadvantage. Up to now it has been a secret known only to my brokers."
"You will lose nothing by telling me," Mr. Harding said, and I knew that promise was as good as his note at hand.
"My brokers have contracted for 45,000 shares of N.O. & G.," I said, handing him a list of my purchases with dates, amounts, and quotations.
He studied it for a while in silence.