The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-22
Masteur and Man.
CHAPTER x.--ContInued.

MaSteur and Man.
The regent again choked with anger.
Law continued. Go on. Smooth down
the back of this animal. Continue to re-
duce these taxes. The specie Of the realm
Of France, as I am banker enough to
know, is not more than three hundred mil
lions of livres. allowing sixty-hve livres to,
Z, the marc. Yet long before this your
grace has crowded the issue Of our ac-
lions until there are out not less than
60 twenty-siX hundred millions of livres In
the stock Of our company Your
Ir0thf pnos Pa mi ts YOU how yon
can make the people of France continue
to believe that twice two is not four, that
twice thirteen is not twenty-stx:"
But this they are doing" broke in the
regent, with a ray Of hope in his face.
This they are doing. We have provided
for that. In the council not an hour ago
the Able Dubois and Monsieur dArgen-
son decided that the time had come to
make some fixed proportion between the
specie and these notes. We have to-day
framed an edict, which the parliament
will register, stating that the interests OF
the subjects Of the king require that the
price of these bank notes should be less
ened, so that there may be some sort OF
accomm odation between them and the coin
OF the realm. We have ordered that the
shares shall, within thirty days, drop to
Seventyfive hundred livres, In another
thirty days to seven thousand livres, and
so on, at five hundred l1vres month,
until at last they shall have a value OF
one-half what they were to-day. Then,
tell me. my wise Monsieur Las, would
not the issue Of our notes and the total
of our specie be equal, one with the other?
The only wrong thing Is this insulting
presumption Of these people. who have
sold actions at price lower than we have
decreed."
Law smiled as he replied. you say
aofa nj
surely show that you and your able coun-
sellers have studied deeply the questions
Of finance! I have told you what would
happen to-day without any decree of the
king. Now go you on. and make your
DEGREES You will find that the people are
much more eager for values which are
going up than values which are going
down. Start your shares down hill, and
you will see all France scramble for such
coin, such plate, such jewels as may be
within the ability Of France to lay her
hands upon. Tell me, your grace, did
Monsieur d'Argenson advise you this
morning as to the total issue of the &C
tions Of this company"
''Surely he did, and here I have it In
memorandum, for I was to have taken 1t
up with yourself" replied the regent.
80" exclaimed Law, a look Of surprise
passing over his countenance, until now
rigidly controlled, as he gazed at the lit
tie slip Of paper. Your grace advises me
that there are issued at this time in the
shares of the company no less than two
billion, two hundred and thrty-five mil
- lion, eighty-fivc thousand, five hundred
and ninety livres in notes! Against this
your grace is good enough to agree with
me, we have thirteen hundred millions Of
specie. Your grace, yourself and 1 have
seen some pretty games in our day. Look
you, the merriest game Of all your life
is now but just before you"
"And you would go and leave me at this
time?".
Never in my life have I forsaken a
friend at the time of Distress" replied
Law But your grace absolved me when
you forsook me. when you doubted and
hesitated regarding me, and believed the
protestations Of those not so able as my
self to judge of what was best. And now
it is too late. Will syour grace allow me
to suggest that a place behind stout gates
and barred doors, deep within the interior
of the Palais Royal, will be the best resi-
dence for him to-night-perhaps for sew
eral nights to Gomez
And yourself?"
LAS for myself. it does not matter" re-