street; there were several people in the room they first entered, and
the first person Claudius saw was Mr. Barker junior, his friend.

"Well," said Barker, "so you have found us out. That's right. I was
coming round to see you afterwards, for I did not suppose you would like
to face 'the street' alone. Father," he said, turning to a thickset man
with white hair and bushy eyebrows, "this is Dr. Claudius, Mr.
Lindstrand's nephew."

The old gentleman looked up keenly into Claudius's face, and smiled
pleasantly as he put out his hand. He said a few words of cordial
welcome, and seemed altogether a sturdy, hearty, hardworking man of
business--rather a contrast to his son. He hoped that Claudius would
come on to Newport with Silas, as he wanted to have a long talk with
him. The old gentleman was evidently very busy, and his son took
Claudius in charge.

"What is that?" asked the Doctor, looking curiously at a couple of
wheels that unwound unceasingly long strips of white paper. The paper
passed through a small instrument, and came out covered with
unintelligible signs, coiling itself in confusion into a waste-basket
below.

"That has driven more men to desperation, ruin, and drink, than all the
other evils of humanity put together," said Barker. "That is the
ticker."

"I perceive that it ticks," said Claudius. And Barker explained how
every variation in the market was instantly transmitted to every place
of business, to every club, and to many private houses in New York, by
means of a simple arrangement of symbols--how "Gr. S." meant Green
Swash, and "N.P. pr." "North Pacific, preferred," and many other things.
Claudius thought it an ingenious contrivance, but said it must be very
wearing on the nerves.

"It is the pulse of New York," said Barker. "It is the croupier calling
out from morning till night 'trente-sept, rouge, impair,' and then
'Messieurs faites votre jeu--le jeu est fait.' When stock goes down you
buy, when it goes up you sell. That is the whole secret."

"I think it is very like gambling," said Claudius.

"So it is. But we never gamble here, though we have a ticker to see what
other people are doing. Besides, it tells you everything. Horse-racing,
baseball, steamers, births, deaths, and marriages; corn, wheat, tobacco,
and cotton. Nobody can live here without a ticker."

And after this they went out into the street again, and Mr. Scratch took
off his hat to Claudius, which is the highest token of