‘I don’t understand how it could be done.’

’Because you don’t understand how delicate a thing is credit.  They persuaded a lot of men to stay away from that infernal dinner, and consequently it was spread about the town that I was ruined.  The effect upon shares which I held was instantaneous and tremendous.  The Mexican railway were at 117, and they fell from that in two days to something quite nominal,—­so that selling was out of the question.  Cohenlupe and I between us had about 8,000 of these shares.  Think what that comes to!’ Nidderdale tried to calculate what it did come to, but failed altogether.  ’That’s what I call a blow;—­a terrible blow.  When a man is concerned as I am with money interests...