tell you?"

Montague went over her recital, which his brother apparently found
satisfactory. "It's not as serious as that," he said, answering the
earlier question. "I help them a little now and then."

"What do you do?"

"Oh, advise them, mostly--tell them where to go and what to wear. When
they first came to New York, they were dressed like paraquets, you
know. And"--here Oliver broke into a laugh--"I refrain from making
jokes about them. And when I hear other people abusing them, I point
out that they are sure to land in the end, and will be dangerous
enemies. I've got one or two wedges started for them."

"And do they pay you for doing it?"

"You'd call it paying me, I suppose," replied the other. "The old man
carries a few shares of stock for me now and then."

"Carries a few shares?" echoed Montague, and Oliver explained the
procedure. This was one of the customs which had grown up in a
community where people did not have to earn their money. The recipient
of the favour put up nothing and took no risks; but the other person
was supposed to buy some stock for him, and then, when the stock went
up, he would send a cheque for the "profits." Many a man who would have
resented a direct offer of money, would assent pleasantly when a
powerful friend offered to "carry a hundred shares for him." This was
the way one offered a tip in the big world; it was useful in the case
of newspaper men, whose good opinion of a stock was desired, or of
politicians and legislators, whose votes might help its fortunes. When
one expected to get into Society, one must be prepared to strew such
tips about him.

"Of course," added Oliver, "what the family would really like me to do
is to get the Robbie Wallings to take them up. I suppose I could get
round half a million of them if I could manage that."

To all of which Montague replied, "I see."

A great light had dawned upon him. So that was the way it was managed!
That was why one paid thirty thousand a year for one's apartments, and
thirty thousand more for a girl's clothes! No wonder it was better to
spend Christmas week at the Eldridge Devons than to labour at one's law
books!

"One more question," Montague went on. "Why are you introducing me to
them?"

"Well," his brother answered, "it won't hurt you; you'll find it
amusing. You see, they'd heard I had a brother; and they asked me to
bring you. I couldn't keep you hidden for ever, could I?"

All this was while they wer