"But I am only president of the company," explained Charon. "I'd like, as
president, to show you some courtesy, and I'm perfectly willing to do so;
but when it comes down to giving you a vessel like that, I'm bound by my
official oath to consider the interest of the stockholders. It isn't as it
used to be when I had boats to hire in my own behalf alone. In those days
I had nobody's interest but my own to look after. Now the ships all belong
to the Styx Navigation Company. Can't you see the difference?"

"You own all the stock, don't you?" insisted Raleigh.

"I don't know," Charon answered, blandly. "I haven't seen the
transfer-books lately."

"But you know that you did own every share of it, and that you haven't
sold any, don't you?" put in Hamlet.

Charon was puzzled for a moment, but shortly his face cleared, and Sir
Walter's heart sank, for it was evident that the old fellow could not be
cornered.

"Well, it's this way, Sir Walter, and your Highness," he said, "I--I can't
say whether any of that stock has been transferred or not. The fact is,
I've been speculating a little on margin, and I've put up that stock as
security, and, for all I know, I may have been sold out by my brokers.
I've been so upset by this unfortunate occurrence that I haven't seen the
market reports for two days. Really you'll have to be content with my
offer or go without the _Gehenna_. There's too much suspicion attached to
high corporate officials lately for me to yield a jot in the position I
have taken. It would never do to get you all ready to start, and then have