STERLING.  Jordan, for heaven’s sake, give us something to see by!  You can’t tell which end of your cigar to light in this confounded woman’s candle-light.  If I had my way, I’d have candelabras made of Welsbachs!

TROTTER.  Bright idea, Sterling.

[STERLING, laughing, joins his group, who laugh gently with him. JORDAN turns on the electric light.  The servants pass the coffee, liqueurs, and the cigars and cigarettes.  Meanwhile the following dialogue takes place, the men beginning to talk at once on their entrance.

STERLING.  Mr. Mason, I’d like to ask your honest opinion on something if you’ll give it me.

MASON.  Certainly.

STERLING.  This Hudson Electric Company.

DR. STEINHART.  Oh!  Dropped fearfully to-day.

STERLING.  But that can happen easily with the best thing.  To-morrow—­

MASON. [Interrupting.] To-morrow it will drop to its very bottom!

STERLING.  I don’t believe it.

DR. STEINHART.  Surely, Mr. Mason, the men who floated that are too clever to ruin themselves?

MASON.  They’re out of it.

STERLING.  Out of it!

MASON.  They got out last week quietly.

STERLING.  But—­

MASON.  Mark my words, the day after to-morrow there’ll be several foolish people ruined, and not one of the promoters of that company will lose a penny!

STERLING.  I don’t believe it!

[The crowd at the other end of the table, who have been listening to a tale from TROTTER, laugh heartily.

TROTTER. [Delighted with his success.] I’m no Dodo bird!

[WARDEN leaves this group casually and joins the other.

MASON. [To STERLING.] Don’t tell me you’re in it?

STERLING. [Ugly.] Yes, I am in it!

MASON.  Not much?

STERLING.  Yes, much!

WARDEN.  Much what?

STERLING.  Oh, nothing; we were just discussing stocks.

WARDEN.  And up there they’re discussing Jeffreys and Fitzsimmons.

MASON.  Listen, Dick, after a lifelong experience in Wall Street, I defy any broker to produce one customer who can show a profit after three consecutive years of speculation.

STERLING.  Oh, you’re too conservative; nothing venture, nothing have.  Excuse me, I think Jeffreys and Fitzsimmons more amusing topics.  Come along.

[STERLING and DR. STEINHART join the other group Right.

MASON. [To WARDEN.] You’re Sterling’s broker.

WARDEN.  No, not for over a year.

MASON.  Then you can’t tell me how deep he is in this Hudson Electric swindle?

WARDEN.  Is he in it at all?

MASON.  Yes, he says, deep.

WARDEN.  I suspected it yesterday.

MASON.  But what with—­his wife’s money?