the business for which his father had destined
him; and, with his savings, bought every kind
of corkscrew that came within his reach. He
found that they were one and all based upon
wrong principles; and for a long time he
could not devise the right principles on
which those important social instruments
ought to be constructed. But he never let
the subject pass from his mind. He felt
convinced that an improved corkscrew would
draw a colossal fortune for the inventor;
and this conviction kept him true to his
purpose. He said it would make our hearts ache
to listen to the miseries he had suffered, in
carrying out the great and glorious object of
his existence. He had defied sheriffs' officers,
and had serenely seen his household gods pass
under the hammer of the auctioneer; he had
been deceived by large and powerful bodies of
people; he had wasted the fortune of his wife
in experiments; he had tried to open, on
new and improved principles, upwards of thirteen
thousand bottles of wine; and at last he
had succeeded in manufacturing a corkscrew
that drew a cork with the daintiest twirl of
the tiniest lady's finger.

As he rapidly pictured these stages of his
career, his eyes dilated; his voice became
tremulous; his action grew wildly animated.
Mr. Rigging begged him to calm himself;
but encouraged him to proceed, and to enter
into full details; adding, that he had, probably,
by the merest accident, met with parties
who might realize all the dreams of his youth
—men, who at all events could console him
for years of misery by insuring him a meridian
of competence, and a decline of unclouded
prosperity.

Thus urged, the gentleman unfolded his
plan; winding up by the declaration that all
he wanted was a capitalist. Rigging smiled at
this trifling desideratum; and asked,
particularly, whether this was all the stranger
required? I confess that I was a little
surprised at Rigging's confident air; for I knew,
to my cost, that he was no capitalist. But
he continued to cheer the little man on until
the inventor of the screw had revealed the
whole of his project; concluding, by asking
him what sum he required for his novel and
highly remunerative invention. The stranger
took out his pencil and made several elaborate
calculations; while Rigging kept uttering
exclamations on the wonderful luck which had
brought ourselves and the inventor together.

I did not see the matter quite so clearly
as Rigging seemed to see it; but I left it
entirely in his hands. Presently the stranger
said, in a hesitating tone—and after having
exhibited in a vivid light the incalculable expenses
he had borne—that he would not object
to part with his entire right in his patent
corkscrew, for the preposterously low sum of
six thousand five hundred and fifty pounds.
Rigging asked, with earnest solemnity, if,
positively, he was prepared to sign an agreement
to that effect? The stranger replied in
the affirmative. "Better make it ten thousand,"
Rigging suggested.

The stranger stared. Rigging went on to
show that the thing was worth ten thousand
pounds, at least, if it were worth ten pence;
and that it would be mere folly to part with
it for less. The stranger was not slow to
accede to this view of the subject.

"Now to business," Mr. Rigging suggested.
He then went on to show that the scheme
was one, the importance of which was so
great, that it could not be fully carried out
by any private individual. A public
company was the only expedient conceivably
practical, and Mr. Rigging was exactly the
"party" whose influence in the City could
command directors of weight and character.
The stranger looked doubtingly. Mr. Rigging
returned to the charge with renewed vigour.
He painted in glowing colours the prospects
of a public company working so important
an invention. He shadowed forth colossal
dividends paid at frequent intervals. He
pointed to companies that were at ten,
premium; and wound up by appealing to the
stranger as a man of business, whether this
glorious scheme had not stronger claims upon
public support, than many of those then so
high in the esteem of the members of the
Stock Exchange. The stranger's enthusiasm
expanded under Rigging's eloquence. Rigging
saw this, and chose his moment to recall to
us that we were not in a place for the transaction
of important business, and suggested
that perhaps the stranger would favour him
next morning with a call at his office in
Moon Alley. The stranger eagerly assented
to this arrangement, and we parted.

I found Mr. Rigging at his place of business,
and in company with the stranger at the
appointed minute. They were surrounded
with plans, sections, together with working,
isometrical, and perspective drawings of
corkscrews. The stranger's dull, heavy, hopeless
expression of countenance had vanished.
He was in high spirits; and, at the moment
when I entered, Mr. Rigging was debating
with him whether they would have
the Prime Minister, or the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, or both, as president or
presidents of the board of honorary directors.
Rigging suggested that they should not
make the thing too cheap; and that therefore
he was decidedly of opinion that only the
Prime Minister should be allowed the honour.
And so it was settled. From this subject
our attention was turned to the formation of a
working board. Rigging proposed that two of
the most celebrated wine-merchants, a leading
man in the cork trade, and an influential
bottle-maker, should be at once communicated
with. They would, of course, assent to become
directors, without a thought of hesitation:
for their very existence as manufacturers (in
which designation wine-merchants were designedly
included) depended upon corkscrews.
Here would be four directors; Mr. Rigging