Like a huge fire she devoured all the fruits of stock-exchange swindling and the profits of labor.

This time she did for Steiner; she brought him to the ground, sucked him dry to the core, left him so cleaned out that he was unable to invent a new roguery.

When his bank failed he stammered and trembled at the idea of prosecution.

His bankruptcy had just been published, and the simple mention of money flurried him and threw him into a childish embarrassment.

And this was he who had played with millions.