"Or the oysters will be cold," said Herr Lübbener. "I begged there might be no ceremony," said the Count reproachfully as he took his place at table with the others. "Not at all, Count Golm; the servants got the oysters from the nearest restaurant--and there is always a chicken to be found in a bachelor's kitchen." "Long live the bachelors!" said the Councillor, lifting his glass. "But how are they to do it?" cried Philip, swallowing an oyster. "From hand to mouth!" said Herr Lübbener, who was busy in the same way. "For heaven's sake, Lübbener!" cried Philip, "if you have no pity for us, at least spare Count Golm!" "I think I can appreciate a good joke as well as the rest of you," said the Count. "Listen to that!" exclaimed Herr Lübbener. "Come, Schmidt, forget your vexation! The fact is I came to tell him that with the best will in the world, I cannot allot him shares in the New Kaiserin-Königin for more than about a hundred thousand." "If you say another word about business you shall not have a drop more of my Chablis," cried Philip. "I was just going to ask for a glass of Bordeaux," answered Herr Lübbener. The Councillor laughed aside to the Count, and shrugged his shoulders as though to say, "Boys will be boys! they go on like that all day." The Count returned the smile most courteously. "At Rome one must do as the Romans do," said he. "I confess it would interest me very much to learn something authentic about the Kaiserin-Königin Iron Company which is so much talked about now." The Count had given the signal; he could not be surprised that for the next half hour nothing was talked but business, in fact he was so interested and excited, that he drank glass after glass, while the blood mounted to his forehead. They went from the Kaiserin-Königin Company to the Lower Saxony Engine Manufactories; from that to the North Berlin Railway, and so arrived at the Berlin Sundin Railway. The other men were able to give him the most interesting details of the history of this railway, which after so glorious a beginning now stood on the verge of bankruptcy in the eyes of people who did not know that the stock had been artificially kept down in order to buy back the shares, shares which as soon as the concession for the construction of the railway was obtained, would rise like a Phœnix from the ashes. Would Count Golm take any shares? Now was just the right moment! He had no spare money? Nonsense! Money had nothing to do with the matter. How much did the Count want--fifty thousand, a hundred thousand, a hundred and fifty? The Count had only to name the sum. It would be no gift to him. The statement that he would eventually be one of the directors of the Island Railway would be worth fifty thousand amongst friends! "Take care that I do not take you at your word!" exclaimed the Count. "Take care that we do not take you at your word!" answered Philip. "By Jove! let us take each other at our word!" exclaimed Herr Lübbener.