He wanted the money for his railways--wanted it very badly.

He was vastly in want of money, he was this, that, and the other in certain international-philanthropic concerns, and had a finger in this, that, and the other pie.

There was an "All Round the World Cable Company" that united hearts and hands, and a "Pan-European Railway, Exploration, and Civilisation Company" that let in light in dark places, and an "International Housing of the Poor Company," as well as a number of others.

Somewhere at the bottom of these seemingly bottomless concerns, the Duc de Mersch was said to be moving, and the _Hour_ certainly contained periodically complimentary allusions to their higher philanthropy and dividend-earning prospects.

But that was as much as I knew.