How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"The truth of it? You want to know the truth? None of these miners, the prospectors, are ever going to be rich. Most of them will keep finding just enough gold dust to make them think their dreams are around the corner, but they will never come. Some will even find a strike, and be rich for a few days till they blow it all. And the only people who are actually going to get rich are you and me, the people in the town running businesses." (22.14)
That's one tough pill to swallow. It's hard to hear the truth, and it turns out not all the miners want to know this. Can you blame them? They've left everything at home and boarded a ship to a new life in hopes of striking it rich.
Quote #5
The beauty of the relationship among the three of them, Einar soon realized, was that none of them trusted the other. Mr. Wells would scrutinize his record books, scratching away with a brass nib pen, but all the while he'd keep one eye twisted toward Einar. Einar went about his work methodically, and all the while kept his eye on Figges, who looked like a murderer who just hadn't found anyone to murder yet. (24.4)
It's funny that none of them trust each other—but then again, it's also absolutely necessary. Einar is stealing gold right in front of them after all. It makes you wonder whether they ever learned the truth about his, shall we say, side hustle.
Quote #6
"Don't play with me. You might have deceived those idiots you work with, but you don't deceive me. I want half. I know how you do it. I want half, and in return, I keep my silence. Yes? A partnership. We are partners." (26.19)
Wolff says this to Einar when he discovers the gold scam the guy's been running the entire time. At first Einar plays dumb, but he knows that sooner or later, he'll have to come clean and tell everyone the truth.