They were mere names. He was
totally unable to organize anything, to promote any sort of enterprise if
it were only for the purpose of juggling with the shares. At that time
he could have had for the asking any number of Dukes, retired Generals,
active M.P.'s, ex-ambassadors and so on as Directors to sit at the
wildest boards of his invention. But he never tried. He had no real
imagination. All he could do was to publish more advertisements and open
more branch offices of the Thrift and Independence, of The Orb, of The
Sceptre, for the receipt of deposits; first in this town, then in that
town, north and south--everywhere where he could find suitable premises
at a moderate rent. For this was the great characteristic of the
management. Modesty, moderation, simplicity. Neither The Orb nor The
Sceptre nor yet their parent the Thrift and Independence had built for
themselves the usual palaces. For this abstention they were praised in
silly public prints as illustrating in their management the principle of
Thrift for which they were founded. The fact is that de Barral simply
didn't think of it.
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