“That,” said Silas P. Hoggan, grandly, “is a concession from the Sultan of Turkey to establish wireless telegraph stations where I like, and to collect the revenue derived from them. Does it interest you, sir?”
Hoggan saw that the bait was a tempting one.
“Yes, a little,” replied the speculator grandly.
“It’s a splendid proposition! I’m half inclined to go with it straight to the Marconi Company, who will take it over gladly at once. But I feel that we shall do better with a private syndicate, who, in turn, will resell to the Telefunken, the Goldsmidt, or Marconi Company.”
“I think you are wise,” was the reply.
“There’s a heap of money in it! Think of all the coast stations we can establish along the Levant, the Dardanelles, and the Black Sea, to say nothing of the inland public telegraph service. And this, as you will see by the French translation, gives us a perfectly free hand to do whatever we like, and charge the public what we like, providing we give a royalty of five per cent. to the State.”
Then he handed Mr. Budden-Reynolds the letter from the Sublime Porte, together with the French translation.
The letter the speculator read through carefully, and then expressed a desire to participate in the venture.
Ansell’s bluff was superb.