But these fellows that have
sold them--they've got to have them, don't you see.
They had their little temporary joke with me on the street
that afternoon--and now they must walk up to the captain's
office and settle. They've got to pay me at least half
a million pounds for that few minutes' fun of theirs.
I may make it a good deal more; I don't know yet."
"Oh, Joel!" she groaned at him, in awed stupefaction.
His rather languid indecision as to whether half a million
was going to be enough, impressed her more powerfully than
had any detail of his narrative.
In a few comprehensive sentences he finished up for
her what there was to tell. "This afternoon my Board
met to allot the shares. They saw the applications,
amounting in all to over ninety thousand shares.
It took their breath away--they had heard that things
were going quite the other way with us. They were
so tickled that they asked no questions The allotment
went through like a greased pig. About 5,000 shares
went to those who had actually applied for them,
and 88,000 were solemnly given to the dummy applicants.
Of course, there wasn't a whisper about these dummies.
Nobody winked so much as an eyelash. But I've found
since that one of the directors--that Lord Plowden I
told you about--was onto the thing all the while.
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