"Gentlemen," said Mr. Harrison, "it is
highly necessary that you should put your
shoulders to the wheel and obtain
share-holders."

We did put our shoulders to the wheel, each
in his own circle, but with very small success.
Notwithstanding the immense capital of The
Adamant, as set forth in the prospectus, and
the distinguished names of the trustees and
directors, our friends and the public were blindly
indifferent to the advantages of becoming
shareholders in the new association, and were not to
be induced to append their signatures to the
deed. In this emergency, Mr. Harrison came to
the rescue, and impressed us all with a sense of
his superior influence and experience by obtaining
the required signatures in the course of a
few days. Mr. Harrison's peculiar eloquence
and powers of persuasion had more force than
the million of capital and all our influential
names put together. At his solicitation, a
stationer, two printers, an upholsterer, a builder,
and an advertising agent, all signed their names
for a hundred shares each : on the understanding,
as I subsequently learned, that they were to be
employed by the company, and that the price of
their shares should be put against their
accounts. The Act of Parliament was complied
with, the corporate seal was brought to the office
in a mahogany box, and The Adamant Assurance
Association began business.

Our secretary, Mr Bosher, seemed to be a
most active and energertic officer. He was
constantly stirring up the agents, and almost every
board-day he had from thirty to forty proposals
of insurance to lay before us. And we appeared
to be extremely fortunate in the nature of the
business offered to us. All the lives, on
examination by our medical officers, were found to
be good, first-class in fact, and consequently we
had nothing to do but accept the proposals and
grant the policies. We, the directors, endeavoured
to second the efforts of the secretary by
canvassing our own connexions. We insured
our own lives, and induced all within the sphere
of our influence to insure their lives. I, for my
part, brought up an uncle, two college chums
just beginning life, my tailor, a tobacconist, and
a livery-stable keeper, all of whom insured for a
hundred, just to oblige me. We were getting on
like a house on fire. One day, Mr. Bosher
announced that the amount insured in The
Adamant was close upon a hundred thousand
pounds. We sent for two bottles of sherry on
the strength of it, and, after the board, sat round
the fire and discussed the sherry and our
brilliant prospects. Everything looked bright and
promising; our policies were accumulating at a
rapid rate; and our shares, though they did not
appear to go off very quickly, were quoted at
two and a half premium. At the very next,
board meeting, Mr. Harrison asked for his bill
of costs, including his promoter's fee, amounting
in all to two thousand five hundred pounds.
When the chairman read out the entry from the
agenda-book, there was a dead pause for a few
minutes. It was Mr. Beasley who spoke at.
length. Mr. Beasley thought the sum rather a
large sum. Mr. Harrison immediately put on an
injured look, and handed in his bill duly made
out, and appealed to Lord Churchmouse if five
hundred pounds, in addition to his fee as a
promoter, could be called excessive ? Lord Churchmouse
said he had had great experience of
such matters, and he had known the solicitor's
bill to be double, and even treble that amount.
So far, then, from considering the charge excessive,
he thought it exceedingly moderate. Mr.
Beasley then appealed to Mr. Harrison to let
his claim stand over, until the company should
be in a better position. Mr. Harrison protested
that the position of the company, considering
the short time it had been in existence, was
unparalleled, and that it would be nothing short of
base ingratitude to refuse him the just reward
of his labours. I was strongly disposed to take
Mr. Beasley's view of the case; but as the chairman,
Lord Churchmouse, and Captain Barlow,
were inclined to support Mr. Harrison, we were
obliged to give way, and the claim was allowed,
and a cheque given for the amount there and
then. Cheques were also voted to Captain Barlow
for the rent of his premises, and to the
secretary, the accountant, and the others, in
respect of their salaries.

We did not have so much of Mr. Harrison's
company after this ; but, under the energetic
management of Mr. Bosher, proposals
continued to pour in rapidly, and we appeared to
be prospering greatly. One day, however, when
some rather heavy cheques had been voted for
printing, advertising, and stationery, Mr.
Beasley rose to ask a question. He wanted
to know more precisely what was the exact
position of the company ? Mr. Bosher assured
him that it was in a most flourishing condition;
that a great portion of the capital had been
taken up; that the policies of the company
amounted to considerably more than a hundred
thousand pounds; and that the income was
rapidly increasing. Lord Churchmouse thought
the statement most satisfactory ; but Mr.
Beasley was not so easily assured. He wanted
to know what were the actual monetary
resources of the company? " In fact," said Mr.
Beasley, "I want to know how much we have
to our account?" Mr. Bosher replied that, at
a rough guess, he thought about ten thousand
pounds. Would Mr. Bosher have any objection
to produce the bank-book? Mr. Bosher
evidently had some slight objection, for he
turned rather red in the face, and hesitated.
Mr. Beasley, however, insisted, and the book
was produced; and, on examination, it was
found that our account amounted to exactly
fifteen hundred pounds. Mr. Bosher hurried to
explain that many of the shareholders had not
yet paid their deposits, but that they were
good and true men, and might be depended on;
and that a large amount of the premiums were
still in the hands of the agents, who were also
good and true men, and would all pay up in
due course.

"Well," said Mr. Beasley, "it appears to