wanted it as a diversion to the conversation merely, for his interest in the doings of Surrey and Yorkshire had waned to the point of complete indifference in competition with Mrs. Windlebird's news.
Equally mechanically he unfolded it and glanced at front page; and, as he did do, a flaring explosion of headlines smote his eye.
Out of the explosion emerged the word “WILD-CATS”.
“Why!” he exclaimed. “There's columns about Wild-cats on the front page here!”
“Yes?” Mrs. Windlebird's voice sounded strangely dull and toneless. Her eyes were still closed.
Roland took in the headlines with starting eyes.
THE WILD-CAT REEF GOLD-MINE ANOTHER KLONDIKE FRENZIED SCENES ON THE STOCK EXCHANGE BROKERS FIGHT FOR SHARES RECORD BOOM UNPRECEDENTED RISE IN PRICES
Shorn of all superfluous adjectives and general journalistic exuberance, what the paper had to announce to its readers was this:
The “special commissioner” sent out by The Financial Argus to make an exhaustive examination of the Wild-cat Reef Mine—with the amiable view, no doubt, of exploding Mr. Geoffrey Windlebird once and for all with the confiding British public—has found, to his unbounded astonishment, that there are vast quantities of gold in the mine. The discovery of the new reef, the largest and richest, it is stated, since the famous Mount Morgan, occurred with dramatic appropriateness on the very day of his arrival. We need scarcely remind our readers that, until that moment, Wild-cat Reef shares had reached a very low figure, and only a few optimists retained their faith in the mine. As the largest holder, Mr. Windlebird is to be heartily congratulated on this new addition to his fortune. The publication of the expert's report in The Financial Argus has resulted in a boom in Wild-cats, the like of which can seldom have been seen on the Stock Exchange. From something like one shilling and sixpence per bundle the one pound shares have gone up to nearly ten pounds a share, and even at this latter figure people were literally fighting to secure them.
The world swam about Roland. He was stupefied and even terrified. The very atmosphere seemed foggy. So far
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