hard cash-第28章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


bird　in　the　air；〃　and　confirmed　it　with　an　oath。　Briefly；　buzz！　buzz！　buzz！

Gray　was　crushed；　Trevethick　driven　out　of　the　country；　stout　Steevie　thwarted；　badgered；　taunted；　and　even　insulted；　and　bespattered　with　dirtI　might　say　with　dung；　since　his　opponents　discharged　their　own　brains　at　him　by　speech　and　writing。　At　last；　when；　after　the　manner　of　men；　they　had　manured　their　benefactor　well；　they　consented　to　reap　him。　Railways　prevailed；　and　increased；　till　lo　and　behold　a　Prime　Minister　with　a　spade　delving　one　in　the　valley　of　the　Trent。　The　tide　turned；　good　working　railways　from　city　to　city　became　an　approved　investment　of　genuine　capital；　notwithstanding　the　frightful　frauds　and　extortion　to　which　the　projectors　were　exposed　in　a　Parliament　which；　under　a　new　temptation；　showed　itself　as　corrupt　and　greedy　as　any　nation　or　age　can　parallel。

When　this　sober　state　of　things　had　endured　some　time；　there　came　a　year　that　money　was　loose；　and　a　speculative　fever　due　in　the　whirligig　of　time。　Then　railways　bubbled。　New　ones　were　advertised；　fifty　a　month；　and　all　went　to　a　premium。　High　and　low　scrambled　for　the　shares；　even　when　the　projected　line　was　to　run　from　the　town　of　Nought　to　the　village　of　Nothing　across　a　goose　common。　The　flame　spread；　fanned　by　prospectus　and　advertisement；　two　mines　of　glowing　fiction；　compared　with　which　the　legitimate　article　is　a　mere　tissue　of　understatements；　princes　sat　in　railway　tenders；　and　clove　the　air　like　the　birds　whose　effigies　surmount　their　armorials；　our　stiffest　Peers　relaxed　into　Boards；　Bishops　warned　their　clergy　against　avarice；　and　buttered　Hudson　an　inch　thick　for　shares；　and　turned　their　little　aprons　into　great　pockets；　men；　stainless　hitherto；　put　down　their　infants；　nurses　included；　as　independent　subscribers；　and　bagged　the　coupons；　_capturi　tartaros。_　Nearly　everything　that　had　a　name；　and；　by　some　immense　fortuity；　could　write　it；　demanded　its　part　in　the　new　and　fathomless　source　of　wealth：　a　charwoman's　two　sons　were　living　in　a　garret　on　fifteen　shillings　apiece　per　week；　down　went　their　excellencies'　names　for　L。　37；000　worth　of　bubbling　iron；　another　shareholder　applied　imperiously　from　a　house　in　Grosvenor　Square；　he　had　breakfasted　on　the　steps。　Once　more　in　Time's　whirligig　gentlemen　and　their　footmen　jostled　one　another　on　the　Exchange；　and　a　motley　crew　of　peers　and　printers；　vicars　and　admirals；　professors；　cooks；　costermongers；　cotton…spinners；　waiters；　coachmen；　priests；　potboys；　hankers；　braziers；　dairymen；　mail…guards；　barristers；　spinsters；　butchers；　beggars；　duchesses；　rag…merchants　in　one　word；　of　Nobs　and　Snobs；　fought　and　scrambled　pell　mell　for　the　popular　paper；　and　all　to　get　rich　in　a　day。*

*For　the　humours　of　the　time　see　the　parliamentary　return　of　Railway　Subscribers；　published　1846：　Francis's　British　Railway：　Evan's　Commercial　Crisis；　and　the　pamphlets　and　journals　of　the　day。

Richard　Hardie　had　some　money　in　existing　railways；　but　he　declined　to　invest　his　hard　cash　upon　hypotheticals。　He　was　repeatedly　solicited　to　be　a　director；　but　always　declined。　Once　he　was　offered　a　canny　bribe　of　a　thousand　pounds　to　let　his　name　go　on　a　provisional　committee。　He　refused　with　a　characteristic　remark：　〃I　never　buy　any　merchandise　at　a　fancy　price；　not　even　hard　cash。〃

Antidote　to　the　universal　mania；　Barkington　had　this　one　wet　blanket；　an　unpopular　institution；　but　far　more　salutary　than　a　damp　sheet　especially　in　time　of　Bubble。

Nearly　all　his　customers　consulted　Richard　Hardie；　and　this　was　the　substance　of　his　replies：　〃The　Bubbles　of　History；　including　the　great　one　of　my　youth；　were　national；　as　well　as　individual；　follies。　It　is　not　so　now：　the　railways；　that　ruin　their　allottees　and　directors；　will　be　pure　additions　to　the　national　property；　and　some　day　remove　one　barrier　more　from　commerce。　The　Dutch　tulip　frenzy　went　on　a　petty　fancy：　the　Railway　fury　goes　on　a　great　fact。　Our　predecessors　blew　mere　soap　bubbles；　we　blow　an　iron　bubble：　but　here　the　distinction　ends。　In　1825　the　country　undertook　immediate　engagements；　to　fulfil　which　a　century's　income　would　not　have　sufficed：　today　a　thousand　railway　companies　are　registered；　requiring　a　capital　of　six　hundred　million　and　another　thousand　projected；　to　cost　another　five　hundred　million。　Where　is　the　money　to　come　from？　If　the　world　was　both　cultivated　and　civilised　（instead　of　neither）；　and　this　nation　could　be　sold；　with　every　building；　ship；　quadruped；　jewel；　and　marketable　female　in　it；　it　would　not　fetch　the　money　to　make　these　railways；　yet　the　country　undertakes　to　create　them　in　three　years　_with　its　floating　capital。_　Arithmetic　of　Bedlam！　The　thing　cannot　last　a　year　without　collapsing。〃　Richard　Hardie　_talked_　like　this　from　first　to　last。　But；　when　he　saw　that　shares　invariably　mounted；　that　even　those　who；　for　want　of　interest；　had　to　buy　them　at　a　premium；　sold　them　at　a　profit；　when　he　saw　paupers　making　large　fortunes　in　a　few　months；　by　buying　into　every　venture　and　selling　the　next　weekhe　itched　for　his　share　of　the　booty；　and　determined　to　profit　in　act　by　the　credulity　of　mankind；　as　well　as　expose　it　in　words。　He　made　use　of　his　large　connections　to　purchase　shares；　which　he　took　care　to　part　with　speedily。　He　cleared　a　good　deal　of　money；　and　that　made　him　hungrier：　he　went　deeper　and　deeper　into　what　he　called　Flat…catching；　till　one　day　he　stood　to　win　thirty　thousand　pounds　at　a　_coup。_

But　it　is　dangerous　to　be　a　convert；　real　or　false；　to　Bubble：　the　game　is　to　be　rash　at　once；　and　turn　prudent　at　the　full　tide。　When　Richard　Hardie　was　up　to　his　chin　in　these　time　bargains；　came　an　incident　not　easy　to　foresee：　the　conductors　of　the　_Times；_　either　from　patriotism　or　long…sighted　policy；　punctured　the　bladder；　though　they　were　making　thousands　weekly　by　the　railway　advertisements。　The　time　was　so　well　chosen；　and　the　pin　applied；　that　it　was　a　death…blow：　shares　declined　from　that　morning；　and　the　inevitable　panic　was　advanced　a　week　or　two。　The　more　credulous　speculators　held　on　in　hopes　of　a　revival；　but　Hardie；　who　knew　that　the　collapse　had　been　merely　hastened；　saw　the　gravity　of　the　situation；　and　sold　largely　at　a　heavy　loss。　But　he　could　not　sell　all　the　bad　paper　he　had　accumulated　for　a　temporary　purpose：　the　panic　came　too　swiftly　and　too　strong；　soon　there　were　no　buyers　at　any　price。　The　biter　was　bit：　the　fox　who　had　said；　〃This　is　a　trap；　I'll　lightly　come　and　lightly　go；〃　was　caught　by　the　light　fantastic　toe。

In　this　emergency　he　showed　high　qualities：　vast　financial　ability；　great　fortitude；　and　that　sense　of　commercial　honour　which　Mrs。　Dodd　justly　called　his　semi…chivalrous　sentiment。　He　mustered　all　his　private　resources　to　meet　his　engagements　and　maintain　his　high　position。　Then　commenced　a　long　and　steady　struggle；　conducted　with　a　Spartan　dignity　and　self…command；　and　a　countenance　as　close　as　wax。　Little　did　any　in　Barkington　guess　the　doubts　and　fears；　the　hopes　and　despondencies；　which　agitated　and　tore　the　heart　and　brain　that　schemed；　and　throbbed；　and　glowed；　and　sickened　by　turns　beneath　that　steady　modulated　exterior。　And　so　for　months　and　months　he　secretly　battled　with　insolvency；　sometimes　it　threatened　in　the　distance；　sometimes　at　hand；　but　never　caught　him　unawares：　he　provided　for　each　coming　danger；　he　encountered　each　immediate　attack。　But　not　unscathed　in　morals。　Just　as　matters　looked　brighter；　came　a　concentration　of　liabilities　he　could　not　meet　without　emptying　his　tills；　and　so　incurring　the　most　frightful　danger　of　all。　He　had　provided　for　its　coming　too；　but　a　decline；　greater　than　he　had　reckoned　on；　in　the　value　of　his　good　securities；　made　that　provision　inadequate。　Then　it　was　he　committed　a　_faux…pas。_　He　was　one　of　his　own　children's　trustees；　and　the　other　two　signed　after　him　like　machines。　He　said　to　himself：　〃My　honour　is　my　children's；　my　position　is　worth　thousands　_to　them。_　I　have　sacrificed　a　fortune　to　preserve　it；　it　would　be　madness　to　recoil　now。〃　He　borrowed　three　thousand　pounds　of　the　trust　money；　and；　soon　after；　two　thousand　more：　it　kept　him　above　water；　but　the　peril；　and　the　escape　on　such　terms；　left　him　gasping　inwardly。

At　last；　when　even　his　granite　nature　was　almost　worn　down　with　labour；　anxiety；　and　struggling　all　alone　without　a　word　of　comfortfor　the　price　of　one　grain　of　sympathy　would　have　been　〃Destruction〃he　shuffled　off　his　iron　burden　and　breathed　again。

One　day　he　spent　in　a　sort　of　pleasing　lethargy；　like　a　strong　swimmer　who；　long　and　sore　buffeted　by　the　waves；　has　reached　the　shore　at　last。

The　next　day　his　cashier；　a　sharp…visaged；　bald…headed　old　man　called　Young　Skinner；　invited　his　attention　rather　significantly　to　the　high　amount　of　certain　balances　compared　with　the　cash　at　his　（Skinner's）　disposal。

〃Indeed！〃　said　Hardie　quietly；　〃that　must　be　regulated。〃　He　added　graciously；　as　if　conferring　a　great　favour；　〃I'll　look　into　the　books　myself；　Skinner。〃

He　did　more：　he　sat　up　all　night　over　the　books；　and　his　heart　died　with　him。　Bankruptcy　seemed　coming　towards　him；　slow　perhaps；　but　sure。　And　meantime　to　live　with　the　sword　hanging　over　him　by　a　hair！

Soon　matters　approached　a　crisis；　several　large　drafts　were　drawn；　which　would　have　cleaned　the　bank　out；　but　that　the　yearly　rents　of　a　wealthy　nobleman　had　for　some　days　past　been　flowing　in。　This　nobleman　had　gone　to　explore　Syria　and　Assyria。　He　was　a　great　traveller；　who　contrived　to　live　up　to　his　income　at　home；　but　had　never　been　able　to　spend　a　quarter　of　it　abroad；　for　want　of　enemies　and　mastersbetter　known　as　friends　and　servantsto　help　him。　So　Hardie　was　safe　for　some　months；　unless　there　should　be　an　extraordinary　run　on　him；　and　that　was　not　likely　this　year；　the　panic　had　subsided；　and；　_nota　bene；_　his　credit　had　never　stood　higher。　The　reason　was；　he　had　been　double…faced；　had　always　spoken　against　railways：　and　his　wise　words　were　public；　whereas　his　fatal　acts　had　been　done　in　the　dark。

But　now　came　a　change；　a　bitter　revulsion；　over　this　tossed　mind：　hope　and　patience　failed　at　last；　and　his　virtue；　being　a　thing　of　habit　and　traditions　rather　than　of　the　soul；　wore　out；　nay　more；　this　man；　who　had　sacrificed　so　nobly　to　commercial　integrity；　was　filled　with　hate　of　his　idol　and　contempt　of　himself。　〃Idiot！〃　said　he；　〃to　throw　away　a　fortune　fighting　for　honoura　greater　bubble　than　that　which　has　ruined　meinstead　of　breaking　like　a　man；　with　a　hidden　purse；　and　starting　fair　again；　as　sensible　traders　do。〃

No　honest　man　in　the　country　that　year　repented　of　his　vices　so　sincerely　as　Richard　Hardie　loathed　his　virtue。　And　he　did　not　confine　his　penitence　to　sentiment：　he　began　to　spend　his　days　at　the　bank　poring　over　the　books；　and　to　lay　out　his　arithmetical　genius　in　a　subtle　process；　that　should　enable　him　by　degrees　to　withdraw　a　few　thousands　from　human　eyes　for　his　future　use；　despite　the　feeble　safeguards　of　the　existing　law。　In　other　words；　Richard　Hardie；　like　thousands　before　him；　was　fabricating　and　maturing　a　false　balance…sheet。

One　man　in　his　time　plays　many　animals。　Hardie　at　this　period　turned　mole。　He　burrowed　darkling　into　_oes　alienum。_　There　is　often　one　of　these　sleek　miners　in　a　bank：　it　is　a　section　of　human　zoology　the　journals　h