"IhavecometothinkthatitmightbewellwerewomentaughttheelementsofinvestingastheyarenowtaughtFrenchandMusic。IwouldnothavetheFrenchandMusicdropped，butIwouldaddtheother。ItmightbemoreofaprotectiontowomenthanbeingabletoreadaFrenchnovel，andperhapssomedayweshallhaveitso。ButofcourseithadbeenlefttotallyoutofEthel'seducation；andatfirstshemerelyreceivedmyinstructionandtookmyopinions。Itwasnotlong，however，beforeshebegantoentertainsomeofherown，obligingmenotinfrequentlytoreasonwithher。Iverywellrememberthefirstoccasionthatthishappened。"
　　"Wehadbeenasusualtalkingaboutstocks，aswewalkedontheRiversideDriveonaSundayafternooninMay。Ethelhadbeenforsomemomentssilent。'Richard，'shefinallybegan，'ifIhadhadthenamingofthesethings，Ishouldneverhavecalledthemsecurities。Insecuritiescomesagreatdealnearerwhattheyare。Whatrighthasathingthatsaysonitsfaceitisworthathousanddollarstogobobbingupanddowninthewaymostofthemdo？Ithinkthatsecuritiesisalmostsarcastic。AndhaveyounoticedthepriceofthosePetunias？'"
　　"Ihad，ofcourse，noticedit；butIhadnotmentionedittoEthel。'I
　　readthepapersnow，'sheexplained，'morningandevening。Ofcoursethemarketisoffalittleonaccountofthebankstatement。ButthatisnotenoughtoaccountforthePetunias。'"
　　"'Ethel，youarenervous，'Isaid。'Anditisthepaperswhichmakeyouso。ThePetuniasareafirstlienonthewholeproperty，ofwhichtheassessedvaluation'"
　　"'Whatisthegood，'sheinterrupted，'ofafirstlienonsomethingwhichdependsonpoliticsforitsexistence，ifthepoliticianschangetheirminds？Didyounotseethatbillthey'rethinkingofpassing？'IwasstartledbywhatEtheltoldme，forthearticleinthepaperhadescapedmynotice。ButMr。Beverlyexplainedittomeinacoupleofminutes。
　　'Ha！'hejoviallyexclaimed，onmyenteringhisofficeonMondaymorning；
　　'youwanttoknowaboutPetunias。Theyopenedat85Isee。'Hethenranthetapefromthetickerthroughhiscleanstronghands。'Heretheyareagain。Fivethousandsoldat83。Now，iftheygoto70，I'llverylikelytaketenthousandmoreformother。It'sallFrankSmith'sbluff，youknow。Hewantsajagofthewater-worksstock，morethantheysaytheyagreedheshouldhave。Sohe'sshakingthisbilloverthem，whichwouldallowthecitytobuilditsownwater-plant，andofcourserunthepresentcompanyoutofbusiness。Notathinginit！Allbluff。He'llgetthestock，Isuppose。What'sthat？'hebrokeofftoaclerkwhocamewithamessage。'Wants500preferreddoeshe？Buyer30？Verywell，hecan'thaveit。Saysofromme。Now，'heresumedtome，'takeacigarbytheway。Anddon'tbuyanymorePetuniasuntilItellyoutherightmoment。
　　DoyouseewhereyourAmalgamatedElectrichasgoneto？'"
　　"Ihadseenthis。Ithadscoreda20-pointrisesincemypurchaseofit；
　　andIfeltverysorrythatIhadnottakenMr。Beverly'sadviceandboughtathousandshares。IthadbeenonadaywhenIhadfeltunaccountablycautious，andIhadtakenonlytwohundredandfiftysharesofAmalgamatedElectric。Therearedayswhenoneiscautiousanddayswhenoneisventuresome；andtheyseemtohavenothingtodowithresults。"
　　"'They'regoingtoincreasethedividend，'saidMr。Beverly，asIsmokedhisexcellentcigar。'It'sgoodfortwentypointshigherbytheendoftheweek。Ihadjustgotmotherafewmoreshares。'"
　　"IleftMr。Beverly'sofficethepossessoroftwothousandsharesofAmalgamatedElectric，andalsoentirelyreassuredaboutmyPetunias。Healwaysmademefeelhappy。"
　　"Hiskeenlaughingbrowneyes，andcrispwell-brushedhair，andbigsomewhatEnglishwayofchaffing（hehadgonetoOxford，wherehehadrowedonawinningcrew）carriedasenseofbuoyantprosperitythatwentwithhiswiryfigureandgoodsmartLondonclothes。HisfacewasalmostastawnyasanIndian'swiththeoutdoorlifethathetookcaretolead。
　　Iwasalwaysflatteredwhenhecouldspareanytimetoclapmeontheshoulderandcrackajoke。"
　　"AmalgamatedElectrichadrisenfivemorepointsbeforetheboardclosedthatafternoon。ThiswasthefirstnewsthatItoldEthel。"
　　"'Richard，'saidshe，'Iwishyouwouldsellthatstockto-morrow。'"
　　"ButthisIsawnoreasonfor；andonTuesdayithadgainedsevenpointsfurther。Ethelstillmorestronglyurgedmetosellit。Imustfreelyadmitthat。"Andthenarratorpausedreflectively。
　　"Thankyou，Richard，"saidEthelfromthesofa。"AndIadmitthatIcouldgiveyounoreasonformyrequest，exceptthatitallseemedsosudden。
　　Andyestherewasoneotherthing。Butthatwasevenmoresilly。"
　　"IbelieveIknowwhatyoumean，"repliedRichard，"andIshallcometoitpresently。Ifanyonewassilly，itwasnotyou。"
　　"IdidnotsellAmalgamatedElectriconWednesday，andonThursdayadoubtabouttheincreaseddividendbegantobecirculated。Thestock，nevertheless，afteraforenoonofweakness，rallied。MoreoveracheckformyfirstdividendcamefromthePollyopolisHeat，Light，Power，Paving，Pressing，andPackingCompany。"
　　"'Whatanumberofthingsitdoes！'exclaimedEthel，whenIshowedherthecompany'scheck。"
　　"'Yes，'Ireplied，andquotedBrowningtoher:''Twenty-nineDistinctdamnations。Onesureiftheotherfails。'Beverly'smotherhasalotofit。'"
　　"ButEtheldidnotsmile。'Richard，'shesaid，'Idowishyouhadmoreinvestmentswithordinarysimplenames，likeNewYorkandNewHaven，orChicagoandNorthwestern。'AndwhenItoldherthatIthoughtthiswasreallyunreasonable，shewasfirm。'Yes，'shereplied，'Idon'tlikethenamesnotmostofthem，atleast。DutchessandColumbiaTractionsoundsprettywell；andbesidesthat，ofcourseoneknowshowsuccessfultheseelectricrailwaysare。ButtaketheStandardEggTrust，andthePatentPasteurisedInfantRubberFeederCompany。'"
　　"'Why，Ethel！'Iexclaimed，'thosearebothbasedupongreatinventions，Mr。Beverly'"
　　"Butsheinterruptedmeearnestly'Iknowaboutthoseinventions，Richard，forIhaveprocuredtheprospectuses。AndIwishthatIcouldhavetoldyoumyownfeelingaboutthembeforeyouboughtanyofthestock。'"
　　"'Idonotthinkyoucanfullyhavetakenitin，Ethel。'"
　　"'Itrustthatitmaynothavefullytakenyouin，'shereplied。'Haveyounoticedwhatthosestocksaresellingforatpresent？'"
　　"OfcourseIhadnoticedthis。Ihadpaid63forStandardEgg，anditwasnow48，while11wasthepriceofPatentPasteurizedFeeder，forwhichI
　　hadpaid20。Butthis，Mr。Beverlyassuredme，wasanormalandevenhealthycourseforanewstock。'Hadtheygoneuptoosoonandtoohigh，'
　　heexplained，'Ishouldhavesuspectedsomecrookedmanipulationandadvisedsellingatonce。Butthisindicatesahealthyabsorptionpreliminarytoanaturalrise。Ishouldnotdreamoflettingmotherpartwithhers。'"