156 IN THE DAYS OP AUDUBON 



Phillips once said of the house, " Then Baron Kothschild 

 said, ' Napoleon, be king,' and Napoleon was king." 



Audubon went to the usurer's London office, where the 

 baron then was. The counting-house of the baron was an 

 unpretentious-looking building; there was no pomp or cere- 

 mony there. Audubon, probably with his portfolio under 

 his arm, went to the place and entered the money-lender's 

 office without hindrance and introduced himself to the 

 gusty baron. 



The baron was a corpulent man with a red face and a 

 brusque manner, and was preoccupied with his work of 

 treasury-making. He " seemed to care for no one in the 

 world beside himself." 



Audubon said: 



" Baron Hothschild, I think. May I offer you my cre- 

 dentials? " 



" Is it a letter of business or merely one of introduc- 

 tion? " asked the baron, coldly as Socrates. 



" I can not tell," said Audubon awkwardly. " I have 

 not read the letter which I bring to you." 



" Let me have it," said the man of " golden oppor- 

 tunities." 



The baron glanced over the letter as if it were an im- 

 pertinence, and said: 



" This is only a letter of introduction. I suspect that 

 you are a publisher of a book or something or other, and 

 want my subscription." 



