Now what I want to ask you is--how is it done ?" "Accepting the premises for the sake of argument, Miss Champers," replied Sir Robert, who felt that he could not refuse the challenge, "the answer is that it is done by finance." "I am still in the dark," she said.

"Finance, as I have heard of it, means floating companies, and companies are floated to earn money for those who invest in them.

Now this afternoon as I was dull, I got hold of a book called the Directory of Directors, and looked up all your names in it, except those of the gentlemen from Paris, and the companies that you direct--I found out about those in another book.

Well, I could not make out that any of these companies have ever earned any money, a dividend, don't you call it?
Therefore how do you all grow so rich, and why do people invest in them ?" Now Sir Robert frowned, Alan coloured, two or three of the company laughed outright, and one of the French gentlemen who understood English and had already drunk as much as was good for him, remarked loudly to his neighbour, "Ah! she is charming.

She do touch the spot, like that ointment you give me to-day.