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.