to do pretty well on credit. You see, ready money was
getting short.

"And now came the biggest pull of all. There was
the press to be worked."

He spoke as if there were no other papers in London
but the financial journals.

"I didn't sleep much while that was being fixed up. You've got
no more idea of what the press means, Louisa, than you have
of--of a coil of snakes thawing out hungry in the spring.
Why, if one blackmailer came to me, I swear a hundred did.
They scared the life out of me, the first month or so.
And then there's a swarm of advertising agents, who say
they can keep these blackmailers off, if you'll make it
worth their while. But they all wanted too much money
for me--and for a while I was at my wits' ends. At last
I got a fellow--he's not behaved so badly, all things
considered--who had some sporting blood in his veins,
and he was willing to do the whole thing for 5,000 pounds,
if I could pay 1,500 pounds down, and the rest in shares.
But that was just what I couldn't do, you see, so finally
he took 1,000 pounds down and 5,000 in shares--and as I
say he's done it tolerably well. There was one editor
that I had to square personally--that is to say, 100 pounds
cash--it had to be in sovereigns, for notes could be
traced--and a call of 2,000 shares at par,--he's the boss
pirate that everybody has to square--and of course there
were odd ten-pound notes here and there, but as a rule I