“That is not in our line,” Ovington replied mildly. “But,” he continued—for he was not sorry to have the chance of taking his son into his confidence—“we are going to have plenty to think of that is in our line. Wolley will fail, and we shall lose by him; and I have no doubt that he is right in saying that he will bring down others. We must look to ourselves and draw in, as I warned Bourdillon some time ago. That noisy fellow may do us harm, and we must be ready to meet it.”
Arthur looked thoughtful. “Antwerps have fallen,” he said.
“I wish it were only Antwerps!” the banker answered. “You haven’t seen the mail? Or Friday’s prices? There’s a fall in nearly everything. True,” looking from one to the other, “I’ve expected it—sooner or later; and it has come, or is coming. Yes, Rodd? What is it?”
The cashier had opened the door. “Hamar,” he said in a low voice, “wants to know if we will buy him fifty of the railroad shares and advance him the face value on the security of the shares. He’ll find the premium himself. He thinks they are cheap after the drop last week.”
The banker shook his head. “No,” he said. “We can’t do it, tell Mr. Hamar.”
“It would support the shares,” Arthur suggested.
“With our money. Yes! But we’ve enough locked up in them already. Tell him, Rodd, that I am sorry, but it is not convenient at present.”
“They are still at a premium of thirty shillings,” Arthur put in.
“Is the door shut, Rodd?”
“Yes, sir.”