fifteen shillings for, some they got at twelve-and-six
and even ten. That doesn't matter; it's of no more
importance than the coppers you give to crossing-sweepers.
The thing was to get the shares--and by God we've
got them! Twenty-six thousand two hundred shares,
that's what we've got. Now, do you see what that means?"

"Why yes," she answered, with a faint-hearted assumption
of confidence. "Of course, you know the property is so
good that you'll make a profit on the shares you've bought
far below their value. But I don't think I quite see----"

He interrupted her with an outburst of loud laughter.
"Don't think you quite see?" he gurgled at her, with tears
of pleasure in his eye. "Why, you dummy, you haven't got
the faintest glimmer of a notion of what it's all about.
The value of the property's got nothing in the world
to do with it. That's neither here nor there. If there
wasn't any such property in existence, it would be just
the same."

He had compassion upon her blank countenance, at this,
and explained more gently: "Why, don't you see, Lou,
it's this way. This is what has happened. We've got
what's called a corner on the bears. They're caught short,
and we can squeeze them to our hearts' content.
What--you don't understand now? Why, see here! These
fellows who've sold twenty-six thousand of our shares--
they haven't got them to sell, and they can't get them.
That is the point--they can't get them for love nor