I'm obliged to you for your good words, Thorpe. It's not
only been profitable to work with you, but it has been
a great education and a great pleasure as well."
Thorpe nodded his appreciation. "I'm going to ask
a favour of you," he said. "I want to leave the general
run of my investments and interests here in your hands,
to keep track of I don't want to speculate at all,
in the ordinary meaning of the word. Even after I bury
a pot of money in non-productive real estate, I shall
have an income of 50,000 pounds at the very least,
and perhaps twice as much. There's no fun in gambling
when you've got such a bank as that behind you. But if
there are good, wise changes to be made in investments,
or if things turn up in the way of chances that I ought
to know about, I want to feel that you're on the spot
watching things and doing things in my interest.
And as it won't be regular broker's work, I shall want
to pay you a stated sum--whatever you think is right."
"That will arrange itself easily enough," said Semple.
"I shall have the greatest pleasure in caring for whatever
you put in my hands. And I think I can promise that it
will be none the worse for the keeping."
"I don't need any assurance on that score,"
Thorpe declared, cordially. "You're the one sterling,
honest man I've known in the City.
Pages:
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406