"made all their money by buying up land round New York for a mere
song. Then, as the city spread, they became worth millions."

"But where will you get the money from, Luke?" asked the voice of my
mother.

The voice of the grey man answered airily:

"Oh, that's merely a matter of business. You grant a mortgage. The
property goes up in value. You borrow more. Then you buy more--and
so on."

"I see," said my mother.

"Being on the spot gives one such an advantage," said the grey man.
"I shall know just when to buy. It's a great thing, being on the
spot."

"Of course, it must be," said my mother.

I suppose I must have dozed, for the next words I heard the grey man
say were:

"Of course you have the park opposite, but then the house is small."

"But shall we need a very large one?" asked my mother.

"One never knows," said the grey man. "If I should go into
Parliament--"