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cantellyou。Why，I’vehadupwardsofthirtycowtopssittinginmyfrontverandaheatingtinsofsalmon。”
“Cowtops？”askedCarthew，“whatarethey？”
“That’swhatHallamwouldcallfeudalretainers。”explainedHadden，notwithoutvainglory。“They’reMyFollowers。TheybelongtoMyFamily。Itellyou，theycomeexpensive，though；
youcan’tfillupalltheseretainersontinnedsalmonfornothing；butwheneverIcouldgetit，Iwouldgive’emsquid。
Squid’sgoodfornatives，butIdon’tcareforit，doyou？——orsharkeither。It’sliketheworkingclassesathome。Withcopraatthepriceitis，theyoughttobewillingtobeartheirshareoftheloss；andsoI’vetoldthemagainandagain。Ithinkit’saman’sdutytoopentheirminds，andItryto，butyoucan’tgetpoliticaleconomyintothem；itdoesn’tseemtoreachtheirintelligence。”
TherewasanexpressionstillstickinginCarthew’smemory，andhereturneduponitwithasmile。“Talkingofpoliticaleconomy。”saidhe，“yousaidifthereweretwoofustobeartheexpense，theprofitswouldincrease。Howdoyoumakeoutthat？”
“I’llshowyou！I’llfigureitoutforyou！”criedHadden，andwithapencilonthebackofthebilloffareproceededtoperformmiracles。Hewasaman，orletusrathersayalad，ofunusualprojectivepower。Givehimthefaintesthintofanyspeculation，andthefiguresflowedfromhimbythepage。Alivelyimaginationandareadythoughinaccuratememorysuppliedhisdata；hedeliveredhimselfwithaninimitableheatthatmadehimseemthepictureofpugnacity；lavishedcontradiction；hadaformofwords，withorwithoutsignificance，foreveryformofcriticism；andthelooker-onalternatelysmiledathissimplicityandfervour，orwasamazedbyhisunexpectedshrewdness。HewasakindofPinkertoninplay。IhavecalledJim’stheromanceofbusiness；thiswasitsArabiantale。
“Haveyouanyideawhatthiswouldcost？”heasked，pausingatanitem。
“NotI。”saidCarthew。
“Tenpoundsoughttobeample。”concludedtheprojector。
“O，nonsense！”criedCarthew。“Fiftyattheveryleast。”
“Youtoldmeyourselfthismomentyouknewnothingaboutit！”
criedTommy。“HowcanImakeacalculation，ifyoublowhotandcold？Youdon’tseemabletobeserious！”
Butheconsentedtoraisehisestimatetotwenty；andalittleafter，thecalculationcomingoutwithadeficit，cutitdownagaintofivepoundsten，withtheremark，“Itoldyouitwasnonsense。Thissortofthinghastobedonestrictly，orwhere’stheuse？”
SomeoftheseprocessesstruckCarthewasunsound；andhewasattimesaltogetherthrownoutbythecapriciousstartingsoftheprophet’smind。Theseplungesseemedtobegoneintoforexerciseandbytheway，likethecurvetsofawillinghorse。
Graduallythethingtookshape；theglitteringifbaselessedificearose；andtheharestillranonthemountains，butthesoupwasalreadyservedinsilverplate。Carthewinafewdayscouldcommandahundredandfiftypounds；Haddenwasreadywithfivehundred；whyshouldtheynotrecruitafellowortwomore，charteranoldship，andgocruisingontheirownaccount？
Carthewwasanexperiencedyachtsman；Haddenprofessedhimselfableto“workanapproximatesight。”Moneywasundoubtedlytobemade，orwhyshouldsomanyvesselscruiseabouttheislands？they，whoworkedtheirownship，weresureofastillhigherprofit。
“Andwhateverelsecomesofit，yousee。”criedHadden，“wegetourkeepfornothing。Come，buysometogs，that’sthefirstthingyouhavetodoofcourse；andthenwe’lltakeahansomandgototheCurrencyLass。”
“I’mgoingtosticktothetogsIhave。”saidNorris。
“Areyou？”criedHadden。“Well，ImustsayIadmireyou。
You’rearegularsage。It’swhatyoucallPythagoreanism，isn’tit？ifIhaven’tforgottenmyphilosophy。”
“Well，Icalliteconomy。”returnedCarthew。“Ifwearegoingtotrythisthingon，Ishallwanteverysixpence。”
“You’llseeifwe’regoingtotryit！”criedTommy，risingradiantfromtable。“Only，markyou，Carthew，itmustbeallinyourname。Ihavecapital，yousee；butyou’rea
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