“Thank you, Mr Prayle,” said Aunt Sophia shortly. “I don’t know that I have any money to invest.”
“Exactly so,” exclaimed Prayle. “Of course I did not for a moment suppose that for the present you would have; but still I thought I would name the matter to you. There is some difficulty in obtaining shares of this class. They are apportioned amongst a very few.”
“And do they pay a high percentage?”
“Very, very high. The shareholders have been known to divide as much as twenty per cent, amongst them.”
“Indeed, Mr Prayle.”
“Yes, madam, indeed,” said the young man, as solemnly as if it had been some religious question.
“That settles it then,” said Aunt Sophia cheerfully.
“My dear madam?”
“If they pay twenty per cent, the thing is not honest.”
“My dear madam, I am speaking of no special undertaking,” said Prayle; “only generally.”