"My friend, my good young friend, that is true. You gave me a written agreement signed with your name, which covenanted that you were obliged to take these shares from me at par; but I gave you no signed doc.u.ment, and there is nothing that can force me to hand you over these shares. There you have the whole thing in a nutsh.e.l.l."
"But, my good sir," repeated the banker, taking hold of the lapels of the old Greek"s coat, "listen to me. Don"t you know that it is one of the laws in the Chamber of Commerce that there is no need of written indenture? If I take shares from you I have only to make a note in my pocket-book. Surely you know that this is the law on "change?"
"What do I know of the laws they make there? I never set my foot in the place."
Kaulmann made an effort to laugh. "I must confess I have never been so sold by any one. I have found my master. Will you give me none of the shares?"
"Not half a one."
"Very good. Then you must count out the sum-total agreed upon."
"Certainly. I shall pay down the money."
"I mean the whole sum. Do you understand?"
"Undoubtedly. Don"t be afraid; the money is ready; this house is bail for more than that amount. If needs be I can pay you in gold, if needs be in silver."
"Well," cried Kaulmann, bringing his clinched fist down on the table, "I would never have believed that in this little town I should have been so sold."
Csanta suspected that were he to fail in paying his first instalment his shares might be annulled. He therefore lost no time in placing the first thirty-five per cent. into the bank. But this was not an easy task. To transport seventy thousand silver gulden to Vienna would necessitate a conveyance, and not only a conveyance, but an escort of gendarmes, and this paraphernalia would make people stare. Well, let them stare!
When the old man descended into his cellar and looked at the casks which contained the necessary sum, his heart beat, his limbs trembled.
These casks contained the treasure he had garnered up; his solid capital. It was foolish, he knew, still he could not help tears coming to his eyes as he chose seven casks from the twenty which should be the first to go. He wept as he spoke to these children of his heart.
"You shall have no cause to reproach me, you who remain here," he said; "those that are now leaving you shall soon return. They are going on a safe journey, not on a wild, venturous sea, where there would be danger of shipwreck, but on a safe railroad, to increase and multiply. Once I have the shares in my hand, they shall not stay a night in my possession. I shall sell them at once, and get back my silver. The profits, too, I shall change into silver. Instead of seven casks I shall return with nine."
In this way did the old Greek miser comfort himself for the temporary loss of his silver pieces. He counted them that night when the day"s work was done, and then set about arranging the transport of his treasure to Vienna.
The day before Csanta had decided upon this step the "bears" had begun to explode their mine. It was, however, only a trial; they wanted merely to show their teeth. Specie was in demand; if silver goes up, paper securities fall. The seven casks from Csanta"s cellar arrived opportunely. Two wagons laden with leaden casks, and guarded by gendarmes with drawn sabres as they went slowly through the streets, attracted the attention of pa.s.sers-by. When it came to be known that these casks were full of silver, and that all this silver was to be paid as the first instalment of some Bondavara shares, there was considerable excitement. Peru and Brazil were opening their floodgates. The firm of Kaulmann very naturally made as much as possible of the event, as being a feather in their commercial cap. The delivery arrived, as it happened, during the absence of the chief cashier, which involved an immense amount of running hither and thither in search of him, as it was necessary Csanta should receive his receipt. In the afternoon the shares were handed over and the silver was counted. All this made much stir and business in the Kaulmann Bank. Kaulmann intrusted the conduct of the affair to his most capable clerk. He instructed him how to act in regard to the matter, and added that if the old Greek gave him a gratuity, he was to kiss his hand, and to place himself altogether at his service. This man"s name was Spitzhase.
Later in the day Spitzhase brought Csanta his account, regularly drawn up, together with the shares, and begged to inform his excellency "that he had brought seven hundred gulden more than was necessary, for the reason that since yesterday silver had risen one per cent."
"H"m!" thought Csanta, "this is an honest fellow; I shall give him a gratuity." And he gave him a bank-note of twenty gulden.
Spitzhase overpowered him with thanks; then took his hand, and kissed it.
"H"m!" thought Csanta, "I have given him too much; perhaps five gulden would have been sufficient." Aloud, he said:
"I made a mistake. Give me that note back; I will give you another."
And he gave him a bank-note of the value of five gulden.
Spitzhase thanked him warmly, and kissed his hand.
"H"m! this is really a good fellow--quite after my heart. Give me back those five gulden; here is another note. I made a mistake." And he handed him a note of fifty gulden.
Spitzhase kissed both his hands, and showered blessings upon him.
Csanta was now convinced that he had made this man his friend for life.
"If I had brought the silver to-morrow, I should have got more," he said, reflectively.
"No, you may believe me, to-day was the right moment; to-morrow silver will fall two per cent."
"How do you know?"
"Oh, I am acquainted with the weather on the stock-exchange."
"You are? Then why don"t you speculate if you know so well the ins and outs?"
"Because one must have money, and I have none. I can only dabble in trifling matters."
"Are you well known on "change?"
"I spend all my time there, except when I am asleep."
"Then take me to the stock-exchange. I should like to look about me."
Csanta meant, as soon as he could find a suitable purchaser, to sell his Bondavara shares.
"One can go in the evening?" he asked, as they went along.
"That is the most lively time, particularly on a day like this."
Csanta was now introduced into the Temple of Mammon. Even outside the door he could hear a strange noise and tumult of voices, and as he stepped inside his head almost reeled at the strange spectacle. The large hall was stuffed full of men, who circulated in a narrow circle.
Each one spoke, or rather shrieked, as if all were quarrelling. They gesticulated with their hands, holding up pieces of paper in the air, making signs and figures on their fingers, and screaming out names and making offers until the noise was deafening.
Spitzhase, who was perfectly at home, led Csanta through the throng.
The old merchant was indignant at the manner in which he was pushed and driven about, no one even begging pardon for his rudeness. He would have liked to know what was meant by the words so constantly repeated, "I give!" "I take!" His attention, however, was at once riveted by another word which seemed to be in every man"s mouth, and which gradually became plainer: "Puntafar! Puntafar!" It dawned upon him that it must be Bondavar. He stopped and timidly asked one of those who were shrieking, "Who wants "Puntafar"? What is the price at which the Bondavara shares are selling?"
"Thirty over par."
Csanta"s eyes blazed. "It is impossible; it cannot be!" he said.
"Yesterday they were at twenty."
"That was yesterday. To-day they are thirty. If you want to buy to morrow you will have to pay thirty-five. The whole world is buying the scrip. A rich nabob from India has brought all his silver here, and bought Puntafar shares. The Dey of Morocco and a Russian prince, who both own silver mines, have each ordered ten thousand shares. Even the little folk, who have only a few hundreds, are tearing the shares out of one another"s hands; they won"t have anything but Puntafar.
What will you take?"
Csanta had very little idea that he united in his own person the East Indian nabob, the Dey of Morocco, and the Russian prince, as likewise that it was he who had caused this uproar. Far from such an idea crossing his mind, he believed that this man was making game of him.
"Oh, sir," he said, "thirty gulden exchange is too much. I can give you a thousand Bondavara shares at five-and-twenty."
These words caused such a tumult as hardly ever had been heard on "change. Every one crowded round Csanta; he was set upon from all sides--behind, before, at his side, on his back--he was fairly mobbed.
People fought with one another over his head, and flourished their fists in his face.
"Who is he? Who is he? A bear, a conspirator, a thief, an agent! Out with him! Bonnet him! Pitch him out! Twenty-five, will he take? Give him twenty-five blows on his back and tear his coat in pieces!"
Spitzhase could hardly manage to get him out. He was in a deplorable condition when he issued forth, his hat smashed, his clothes all awry, his face pale, his breath short. Once in the open air his rescuer began to scold him.
"What the devil did you do that for? Just at the moment when the cabal was silenced and trampled in the dust, to come forward as one of them to run down your own shares!"