ass. He wondered if it might not
be possible to "work off" some of these, in company with some better
stocks, on this young man. He was closely scrutinizing Temple's visage,
trying to "size him up." After seeming to meditate for a brief space, he
resumed:

"It is risky, of course. Still, if a man is in position to watch the
market closely, and sell out at the proper time, it sometimes turns out
well to buy a few inferior stocks, when buying a lot of better ones.
I've known it to happen that a lucky turn in the market enabled a man
to sell out his inferior stocks at a profit big enough to pay for the
good ones. You see the inferior stocks can be bought for so little on a
dull market, such as we have at present, that there can't be a very
great risk in buying them in moderate quantities, while buying better
securities in the main. And there's always a chance of a lucky turn in
the market, and with it a chance of great profits."

Temple did not interrupt the flow of Tandy's financial exposition. He
had three reasons--all of them good--for wishing Tandy to talk on. In
the first place he was waiting for noonday, before mentioning his credit
in the Fourth National Bank of New York. In the second place it was his
"cue" to sit reverently at the feet of this great financier, and to make
as little display as possible of his own sagacity. Finally, he was
studying Tandy--"sizing him up"--finding out, for future use, all that
he needed to know about the man with whom he had to deal. This was the
result of the "sizing up," as it formulated itself in what might be
called a "first draft," in Temple's mind:

"He's a smooth, plausible, conscienceless scoundrel;

"He's so far filled with self-conceit that it sometimes blinds him;

"He would gladly swindle me out of my eyes, if he could do so without
being caught; but if he can't swindle me, he will be glad to do business
with me 'on the square,' as he would put it."

But Temple wanted to complete and revise and, if necessary, correct this
first draft of his "sizing up," and so he wanted Tandy to go on talking.

"I am not much disposed to speculate in doubtful securities," he said.
"I can't afford it, for one thing, and, of course, I am not in position
to watch the market, as you say. What I would like is to put a few
thousands into some good, safe, dividend-paying security. Of course----"

"You're right, of course. Still, if you choose to take some small risk,
I could watch the ma