He was eager, strenuous, and impatient.

He liked the excitement and the risk of large operations.

The capital at his command was generally too small for the safe and conservative conduct of his business; and he was consequently obliged to be adventurous, or else to be left behind in the race.

He might well be earning enormous profits one year and skirting bankruptcy the next.

Under such a stress conservatism and caution were suicidal.