Fifty thousand had seemed an enormous fee, yet even a
week or two had sufficed for it to come to seem inadequate. He would
have to have many such fees, if they were to go on living at their
present rate; and if Alice were to have a social career, and
entertain her friends. And to ask Alice to give up now, and retire,
would be even harder than to face his brother here in the cab.
Then came the temptation. Life was a battle, and this was the way it
was being fought. If he rejected the opportunity, others would seize
it; in fact, by refusing, he would be handing it to them. This great
man, whoever he might be, who was manipulating stocks for his own
convenience--could anyone in his senses reject a chance to wrench
from him some part of his spoils? Montague saw the impulse of
refusal dying away within him.
"Well?" asked his brother, finally.
"Oliver," said the other, "don't you think that I ought to know more
about it, so that I can judge?"
"You could not judge, even if I told you all," said Oliver. "It
would take you a long time to become familiar with the
circumstances, as I am.
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