登陆注册
26501000000179

第179章 CHAPTER XXVIII.(1)

THE WISDOM OF THE WISE.

Change, meantime, was in progress elsewhere, and as well upon the foot as high on the side of Glashgar--change which seemed all important to those who felt the grind of the glacier as it slipped.

Thomas Galbraith, of Glashruach, Esquire, whom no more than any other could negation save, was not enfranchised from folly, or lifted above belief in a lie, by his hatred to what he called superstition: he had long fallen into what will ultimately prove the most degrading superstition of all--the worship of Mammon, and was rapidly sinking from deep to lower deep. First of all, this was the superstition of placing hope and trust in that which, from age to age, and on the testimony of all sorts of persons who have tried it, has been proved to fail utterly; next, such was the folly of the man whose wisdom was indignant with the harmless imagination of simple people for daring flutter its wings upon his land, that he risked what he loved best in the world, even better than Mammon, the approbation of fellow worshippers, by investing in Welsh gold mines.

The property of Glashruach was a good one, but not nearly so large as it had been, and he was anxious to restore it to its former dimensions. The rents were low, and it could but tardily widen its own borders, while of money he had little and no will to mortgage.

To increase his money, that he might increase his property, he took to speculation, but had never had much success until that same year, when he disposed of certain shares at a large profit--nothing troubled by the conviction that the man who bought them--in ignorance of many a fact which the laird knew--must in all probability be ruined by them. He counted this success, and it gave him confidence to speculate further. In the mean time, with what he had thus secured, he reannexed to the property a small farm which had been for some time in the market, but whose sale he had managed to delay. The purchase gave him particular pleasure, because the farm not only marched with his home-grounds, but filled up a great notch in the map of the property between Glashruach and the Mains, with which also it marched. It was good land, and he let it at once, on his own terms, to Mr. Duff.

In the spring, affairs looked rather bad for him, and in the month of May, he considered himself compelled to go to London: he had a faith in his own business-faculty quite as foolish as any superstition in Gormgarnet. There he fell into the hands of a certain man, whose true place would have been in the swell mob, and not in the House of Commons--a fellow who used his influence and facilities as member of Parliament in promoting bubble companies.

He was intimate with an elder brother of the laird, himself member for a not unimportant borough--a man, likewise, of principles that love the shade; and between them they had no difficulty in making a tool of Thomas Galbraith, as chairman of a certain aggregate of iniquity, whose designation will not, in some families, be forgotten for a century or so. During the summer, therefore, the laird was from home, working up the company, hoping much from it, and trying hard to believe in it--whipping up its cream, and perhaps himself taking the froth, certainly doing his best to make others take it, for an increase of genuine substance. He devoted the chamber of his imagination to the service of Mammon, and the brownie he kept there played him fine pranks.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 穿越农女也幸福:清朝生活记录

    穿越农女也幸福:清朝生活记录

    想知道清朝农村的风土人情吗?想了解清朝时期下层老百姓的日常生活吗?请关注《清朝生活记录》,给你不一样的生活画面!
  • 工作要有好心态

    工作要有好心态

    美国著名心理学家威廉·詹姆斯说:“历史终将证明,我们这一代最伟大的发现是人类可以经由改变态度而改变自己的命运。”态度是内心的一种潜在意志,是个人的能力、意愿、想法等在工作和生活中所体现出来的外在表现。工作态度决定一个人的工作成绩,也决定了他能否成功。被誉为“世界第一CEO”的杰克·韦尔奇曾说:“我成功,是因为我志在成功。”在追求成功的道路上,周围的环境或人为因素的制约性会很明显,但这绝不是一成不变的。其实,能否取得成功,关键在于你有着一种怎样的态度,当你抱着不达目的绝不罢休的态度去拼搏时,就没有什么能够阻挡你。
  • 都市霸王行

    都市霸王行

    这是一个草根少年的不平凡崛起之路,从男孩到男人,一步步成长,男儿路,铁血路,为了生活,为了梦想,为了爱情,像个男人一样站起来!兄弟有我在绝对不允许受欺负,女人有我在别哭别流泪!少年从安南市走来,看他一人将这都市捅一个天!
  • 古楼传

    古楼传

    一个屹立千年不倒的古楼,闯进了一个意外的过客,从此一切似乎都变味了......
  • 巅峰魂帝

    巅峰魂帝

    沉寂多年的废材少年,意外巧获令之天地变色的圣纹力量,自此脱胎换骨,踩天才,镇宗门,无所不能!冥冥之中都是命数,且看他如何傲噬九天,成就一代巅峰魂帝!(书友群:167585467)
  • 穿到朝鲜,我是中殿娘娘

    穿到朝鲜,我是中殿娘娘

    她只不过迷恋韩剧里的欧巴而已,怎么就穿越了?还遇到了与欧巴长相一模一样的忠宁大君?OMG!她这是走了什么狗屎运?竟然还能认识朝鲜未来的大王?可这位忠宁大君为什么整天冷冰冰,不苟言笑的?难道是冰山?NO,NO一切都是假象!有一日某人被折腾的无语:“你还能再无耻点吗?”某男答:“嗯,我只会更无耻!”再有一日,她怒道:“你能不能有点节制!”某人一本正经地说:“牡丹花下死,做鬼也风流!”
  • 同一个地球

    同一个地球

    一个意外,与地面文明分享同一个地球的庞大地底世界慢慢展现在韩峰的面前。以地面文明为后盾,如何慢慢统治一个封建社会,并且快速的走完工业革命。PS:好吧,大家都说第一卷前十三章没什么意义,新读者可以略看一下,就当正文从第二卷才开始。欢迎加入同一个地球,群号码:419636742
  • 神魔战尊决

    神魔战尊决

    诸天万界,种族林立!一代逆天大帝重生于二十年后,得传承,修逆天功法,一路高歌!破开上古之谜,发现所在的世界仅仅是时间长河的沧海一粟!从此暴走于整个诸天万界!逆生死!掌轮回!为红颜与天下为敌,携兄弟征战诸天万界,成就神魔之名!
  • 穿越猎人之冰清玉洁

    穿越猎人之冰清玉洁

    她是冰族公主,当她携带空间和契约兽穿越遇到他,又会发生怎样的事?本文男主金。
  • 千穹一帝

    千穹一帝

    一个寄人篱下的凄苦孤儿,一段催人泪下的爱恨情仇。当月光照耀青窗,窗里窗外都是青色的光。虽然天下有敌,少年始终相信月光下总有一扇青窗,坚持说自己是唯一被等待的人。穹顶之下,我主沉浮。