Page:Tex; a chapter in the life of Alexander Teixeira de Mattos (IA texchapterinlife00mcke).pdf/170



''some milk; and let the milk be hot. And give me some bread; and let the bread be inside the milk."''

Monday, 31 January.

The Insurance herein contained is not valid until your name has been registered.

''I don't care. Yer can 'ave the insurance.''

The new rich have some business visitors.

Tuesday, 1 February.

 Departure of the new riches' little thyndicate of friends.

''Arrival of the dividend on my Benson & Hedges' 10% 2nd pref., the only shares wherein I have ever invested that have ever paid any dividend whatever. Lord, how I have moiled and toiled to sink money in stumer companies! Shrewsburry & Talbot Hansoms! Galician Oilfields! Rubber substitutes! Cork substitutes! Tampico-Panuco Deferred! United Transport Co.! In the three last I still have holdings: about £250 in all. And the things that I have inherited: thousand of dollars' worth of Mexican (and Turkish and Hungarian and Russian) rubbish, which would barely fetch a tenner, all told!''