It was not a squall, it was a storm, and sugar was broken off at the
roots, falling twenty points. Storri, on his private deal, made two
hundred thousand, while Messrs. Harley and Storri, on their joint
account, lost forty thousand dollars--twenty thousand for each. In the
clean-up, Storri paid his losses and got back his French shares. He
smiled an evil smile as he contemplated Mr. Harley's attempts to mock
his signature.

"He loses twenty thousand," commented Storri, "and that should more than
offset those seven thousand lost by me when he refused to protect my
deals. As for these," and here Storri ran a dark, exultant glance over
his imitated signatures, "every one of them makes a reason why my good
friend, Mr. Harley, must now please me and obey me in everything he
does. After all, is it a destiny beneath his jowlish fat deserts, that
an American pig should become slave to a Russian noble?"




CHAPTER VII

HOW RICHARD GAINED IN KNOWLEDGE


Congress came together at noon upon the first Monday in December, and
obedient to the mandate of the caucus Mr. Frost was made Speaker Frost.
The eruptive Mr. Hawke wore an injured air, and when the drawing for
seats took place, selected one in a far back row, as though retiring
from public life. Mr. Hawke subsequently refused to serve as chairman of