he was becoming quite a personage. He already knew a number of rich businessmen who dealt with the bank where he worked. The brokers considered him to be a most reliable person.
Young Cowperwood took an interest in his father's progress. From seeing his father count money, he was sure that he would like banking, and Third Street, where his father's office was, seemed to him the cleanest, most fascinating street in the world. He was quite often allowed to come to the bank on Saturdays, when he could watch with great interest the quick exchange of bills. He wanted to know where all the types of money came from, why discounts were demanded and received, and what the men did with all the money they received. His father, pleased at his interest, was glad to explain so that even at this early age – from ten to fifteen – the boy gained a wide knowledge of the condition of the country financially. He was also interested in stocks and bonds, and he learned that some stocks and bonds were not even worth the paper they were written on, and others were worth much more than their face value showed.
At home he also listened to considerable talk of business and financial adventure.
Frank realized that his father was too honest, too careful. He often told himself that when he grew up, he was going to be a broker, or a financier, or a banker, and do some of the risky things he so often used to hear about.
Just at this time there came to the Cowperwoods an uncle, Seneca Davis – Henry Cowperwood was pleased at the arrival of this rather rich relative, for before that Seneca Davis had not taken much notice of Henry Cowperwood and his family.
This time, however, he showed much more interest in the Cowperwoods, particularly in Frank.
"How would you like to come down to Cuba and be a planter, my boy?" he asked him once.
"I'm not so sure that I'd like to," replied the boy. "Well, that's frank enough. What have you against it?" "Nothing, except that I don't know anything about it." "Well, what are you interested in ?" "Money!"
"Aha! get something of that from your father! Well, that's a good trait. And speak like a man, too!"
He looked at Frank carefully now. There was real force, in that young body – no doubt of it.
"A clever boy!" he said to Henry, his brother-in-law. "You have a bright family."
Henry Cowperwood smiled. This man, if he liked Frank, might do much for the boy. He might leave him some of his money. He was rich and single.
Uncle Seneca became a frequent visitor to the house and took an increasing interest in Frank.
"When that boy gets old enough to find out what he wants to do, I think I’ll help him to do it," he said to his sister one day. She told him she was very grateful. He talked to Frank about his studies, and found that he cared little for books or most of the subjects he had to take at school.
"I like book-keeping and mathematics," he said. "I want to get out and get to work, though. That's what I want to do."
"You are very young, my son," his uncle said. "You're only how old now? Fourteen?" "Thirteen."
"Well, you can't leave school much before sixteen. You'll do better if you stay until seventeen or eighteen. It can't do you any harm. You won't be a boy again."
"I don't want to be a boy. I want to get to work."
"Don't go too fast, son. You'll be a man soon enough. You want to be a banker, don't you?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, when the time comes, if everything is all right and you've behaved well and you still want to, I'll help you get a start in business. If you are going to be a banker, you must work with some good company a year or so. You'll get a good training there. And, meantime, keep your health and learn all you can."
And with these words he gave the boy a ten-dollar gold piece with which to start a bank account.
3.5.1 Vocabulary notes
teller – кассир в банке, банковский служащий
to deal with – заниматься чем-л., иметь дело с кем-л., чем-л.
bill – счет; вексель; амер. банкнота, казначейский билет
discount – скидка
stock – акция, ценные бумаги, облигации
bond – долговое обязательство, облигация
face value – номинальная стоимость
a broker – брокер, маклер; агент; посредник
trait – характерная черта, особенность
book-keeping – бухгалтерский учет
bank account – счет в банке, банковский счет
3.6 Text 6
It was in his thirteenth year that young Cowperwood entered into his first business transaction. Walking along Front Street one day he saw an auctioneer's flag before a grocery and from the interior came the auctioneer's voice: "What price am I offered for this exceptional lot of Java coffee?" The people offered their price. The coffee was quickly sold. At first Cowperwood had no intention to take part in the auction but after he had made a rapid calculation he thought he could make a profit.
"I am going to offer you now a fine lot of seven cases of Castile soap. At this moment this soap costs anywhere 11 dollars and 75 cents a case."
People began to offer their price. The original price was 15 dollars. Then the price reached 30 dollars. Cowperwood's mind was working hard. He took everything into account. Frank was sure he would get a profit, "that's why he decided to participate. When finally Cowperwood offered 32 dollars the auctioneer noticed him standing almost directly under his nose. The solidity of the boy's expression made a great impression on the man. Meanwhile young Cowperwood was thinking that he had no right to buy the soap as he had no money with him. But he was sure that his father who was a teller of the Third National Bank would lend him the money.
"32 – once! 32 – twice! Three times! The soap is sold to Mr…?" The auctioneer looked into the face of the boy.
"Frank Cowperwood, the son of the teller of the Third National Bank,' replied the boy. "Will you wait while I run up to the Bank and get the money?"
"Yes. Don't be long. If you are not here in an hour I'll sell it again."
Young Cowperwood made no reply. He hurried out and ran fast, but first to his mother's grocer.
When he entered the grocer's store he looked about for Castile soap. There it was, the same kind, displayed in a box and looking just as his soap looked.
Mr. Dalrymple, the owner of the store, though very much surprised, agreed to buy the soap offered by Cowperwood on condition that the boy would deliver the goods himself. Frank was sure there would be no difficulty
