MARK TWAIN

extraordinary familiarity with the subject paralyzed the
banker for a while, for he was merely expecting to find a
humorist, not a commercial cyclopedia—but he recov-
ered presently.

We talked till midnight and then parted: I to think
over the data and the price, $1,500,000, and we to meet
again at 4 P.M. today. By breakfast time I had thought
it over sufficiently; so that I sent word and Mr. Klein-
berg came and we entered into an agreement.

He could never resist a patent right. This one
—a designing-machine to be used in the manu-
facture of carpets, etc., was particularly alluring.
Again the air was full of gold—even the type-
setter had never held out such prospects as this.
The whole industry of carpet-making was to be
revolutionized. When he had his option prop-
erly signed, sealed and delivered, he accounted
himself a billionaire. In his notebook he writes
that when a certain Mr. Wood representing
American carpet interests called and inquired
how much he would take for his option, he
could not think of a price big enough.

I declined and got away from the subject. I was afraid
he would offer me half a million dollars for it. I should
have been obliged to take it. But I was born with a specu-
lative instinct and I did not want that temptation put
in my way.

Wood said he knew but one man in Vienna—had met
him some years ago in Constantinople—Major X—an
American gentleman who has served in the Austrian Cav-
alry 32 years. He had taken the Major along as inter-
preter, when he had his talk with Mr. Kleinberg this
morning. And now I find that Major X is to be one of the
guests who I am to meet at Dr. Otis's tonight. It is a
small world.

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