That will answer every purpose.

It will furnish me a couple of columns of gratis advertising in every English and American paper for a couple of months, and give my show the biggest boom a show ever had in this world." Jamrach started to deliver a burst of admiration, but was interrupted by Barnum, who said: "Here is a state of things! England ought to blush." His eye had fallen upon something in the newspaper.

He read it through to himself, then read it aloud.

It said that the house that Shakespeare was born in at Stratford-on-Avon was falling gradually to ruin through neglect; that the room where the poet first saw the light was now serving as a butcher's shop; that all appeals to England to contribute money (the requisite sum stated) to buy and repair the house and place it in the care of salaried and trustworthy keepers had fallen resultless.

Then Barnum said: "There's my chance.