Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-06-09
CHAPTER XII.

THE BREAKING OF THE BUBBLE.
It was the evening of the day fol-
lowing that on which John Law and
the regent of France had met in their
stormy interview. During the morning
but little had transpired regarding the
significant events Of the previous day.
In these vast and excited crowds, di-
yided into groups and cliques and fac
tons, aided by no bulletins, counseled
by no printed page, there was but lit
tie cohesion of purpose, since there was
little unity of understanding. The
price of shares at one kiosk might be
certain thousands of livres, whereas a
square away, the price might vary by
half as many livres; so impetuous was
the advance of these continually ris-
ing prices, and so frenzied and careless
the temper of those who bargained
for them.
Yet before noon of the day following
the decree of the regent, which fixed
the value Of actions upon descending
scale, the news after a fashion of it's
own spread rapidly abroad, and all too
swiftly the truth was generally known.
The story started in rumor that
shares had been offered and declined
at price which had been current but
few moments before. This was some
thing which had not been known in
all these feyerish months of the Messa-
sebe. Then came the story that shares
could not be counted upon to realize
over 5000 liyres. At that the price of
all the actions dropped in a flash, as
Law had prophesied. A sudden wave
of sanity, panic chill of sober under
standing swept over this vast multi
tude of still unreasoning souls who had
traded SO long upon this impossible
sunposit1on of an eyer-advancing mar
ket. Reason still lacked among them,
yet fear and sudden suspicion were
lot wanting. Man after man FASTENED
swiftly away to sell privately his shares
before greater drop in the price might
come. He met others upon the same
errand.
Precisely the reverse of the old sit
uation now obtained. AS all Paris had
fought to buy, SO now all Paris fought
to sell. The streets were filed with
clamoring mobs. If earlier there had
been confusion, now there was pande-
monium. Never was such scene wit
messed. Never was there chronicled
so swift and utter reversion of emotion
in the minds of a great concourse of
people. Bitter indeed was the wave of
agony that swept over Paris. It began
at the Messasebe, in the gardens Of
the Hotel de Scissor, at that focus hard
by the temple of Fortuna. 1t spread
and spread, edging out into all the re-
moter portions of the walled city. 1t
reached ultimately the extreme con-
fines of Paris. Into the crowded
square which had been decreed as the
trading-place of the Messasebe sys-
TEN, there crowded from the outer pur-
lieus yet other thousands of excited
human beings. The end had come.
The bubble had burst. There was no
longer any system of the Messasebe!
It was late in the day, in fact well
on toward night, when the knowledge
of the crash came into the neighbor-
hood where dwelt the Lady Catharine
Knollys To her the news was
brought by a servant, who excitedly
burst unannounced into her mistress
presence.
Madame! Madame!' she cried.
Prepare! IT'S horrible! 'Tis i'm
possiblei All is at an end!"
what mean you, girl" cried Lady
Catharine, .displeased at the disrespect.