"But I think I have a better opinion of you," smiled Mr. Merriman, and his smile was very engaging. "You have been frank without being fresh, you have been bashful without showing fear. You meet the eye in a manly way, and you seem a clean and worthy young man. As opposed to these things, what you might have thought out to say to me would hardly matter." "Oh," cried Brett impulsively, "if you would only let up!" "I suppose, Mr. Brett," the banker smiled, even more engagingly, "that you mean you would like me to come to the personal rescue of all those persons who have recently shown bad judgment in the conduct of their affairs. But let me tell you that I have precisely your own objections to seeing people go to smash. But they _will_ do it. They don't even come to me for advice." "You wouldn't give it to them if they did," said Brett. "No," said Mr. Merriman, "I couldn't. But I should like to, and a piece of my mind to boot. Now, sir, you have suggested something for me to do. Will you go further and tell me how I am to do it?" "Why," said Brett, diffidently but unabashed, "you could start in early to-morrow morning, couldn't you, and bull the market?" "Mr. Brett," said Mr. Merriman forcefully, "I have for the last month been straining my resources to hold the market. But it is too heavy, sir, for one pair of shoulders." A look of doubt must have crossed Brett's face, for the banker smote his right fist into the palm of his left hand with considerable violence, and rose to his feet, almost menacingly. "Have the courtesy not to doubt my statements, young sir," he said sharply. "I have made light of your intrusion; see that you do not make light of the courtesy and consideration thus shown you." "Of course, I believe you," said Brett, and he did. "You are one of those," said Mr. Merriman, "who listen to what the run of people say, and make capital of it." "Of course, I can't help hearing what people say," said Brett. "Or believing it!" Mr. Merriman laughed savagely, "What are they saying of me these days?" he asked. Brett hesitated. "Come, come," said the great man, in a mocking voice. "You are here without an invitation. Entertain me! Entertain me! Make good!" Brett was nettled. "Well," said he, "they say that Mr. Waters was tremendously extended for a rise in stocks, and that you found it out, and that you hate him, and that you went for him to give him a lesson, and that you pulled all the props out of the market, and smashed it all to pieces, just for a private spite. That's what they say!" The banker was silent for quite a long time. "If there wasn't something awful about that," he said at last, "it would be very funny." The officer who had ushered Brett into the saloon appeared at the door. "Well?" said Merriman curtly. "There's a gentleman," said the officer, "who wants to come aboard. He says you are expecting him. But as you only mentioned one gentleman--"