o
back you up and upset this young rascal who has stepped into your
slippers, might be morally meritorious enough, but, treating it from a
purely pecuniary point of view, it's not business."

"I see," said Mr. Bultitude heavily; "then you side against me?"

"Did I ever say I would side against you? Let us hear first what you
propose to do."

Paul, upon this, explained that, as he believed the Stone still retained
its power of granting one wish to any other person who happened to get
hold of it, his idea was to get possession of it somehow from Dick, who
probably would have it about him somewhere, and then pass it on to some
one whom he could trust not to misuse it so basely.

"A good idea that, Paul, my boy," said Paradine, smiling; "but you
don't imagine our young friend would be quite such an idiot as not to
see your game! Why, he would pitch the Stone in the gutter or stamp it
to powder, rather than let you get hold of it."

"He's quite capable of it," said Paul; "in fact, he threatened to do
worse than that. I doubt if I shall ever be able to manage it myself;
but what am I to do? I must try, and I've no time to lose about it
either."

"I tell you this," said Marmaduke, "if you let him see you here, it's
all up with you. What you want is some friend to manage this for you,
some one he won't suspect. Now, suppose I were willing to risk it for
you?"

"You!" cried Paul, with involuntary distrust.

"Why not?" said Marmaduke, with a touch of feeling. "Ah, I see, you
can't trust me. You've got an idea into your head that I'm a
thorough-paced rascal, without a trace of human feeling about me. I
daresay I deserve it, I daresay I do; but it's not generous, my boy, for
all that. I hope to show you your mistake yet, if you give me the
chance. You allow yourself to be prejudiced by the past, that's where
you make your mistake. I only put before you clearly and plainly what it
was I was giving up in helping you. A fellow may have a hard cynical
kind of way of putting things, and yet, take my word for it, Paul, have
a heart as tender as a spring chicken underneath. I believe I'm
something like that myself. I tell you I'm sorry for you. I don't like
to see a family man of your position in such a regular deuce of a hole.
I feel bound to give you a lift out of it, and let my prospects take
their own chance. I leave the gratitude to you. When I've done, kick me
down the doorsteps if you like. I shall go out into the world w