Afterwards he took a stroll through the streets, watching
the people. He was met by Mrs. De Graffenried, who, after her usual
fashion, invited him to come round to lunch. He went, and met about
forty other persons who had been invited in the same casual way,
including his brother Ollie--and to his great consternation, Ollie's
friend, Mr. Gamble!
Gamble was clad in a spotless yachting costume, which produced a
most comical effect upon his expansive person. He greeted Montague
with his usual effusiveness. "How do you do, Mr. Montague--how do
you do?" he said. "I've been hearing about you since I met you
last."
"In what way?" asked Montague.
"I understand that you have gone with the Mississippi Steel
Company," said Gamble.
"After a fashion," the other assented.
"You want to be careful--you are dealing with a smooth crowd!
Smoother even than the men in the Trust, I fancy." And the little
man added, with a twinkle in his eye: "I'm accustomed to say there
are two kinds of rascals in the oil business; there are the rascals
who found they could rely upon each other, and they are in the
Trust; and there are the rascals the devil himself couldn't rely
upon, and they're the independents.
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