ed.

The young man buried his face in his hands.

"I can't! I can't!" he moaned. "I couldn't bear seeing all the
fellows, hearing them whisper things--oh, Lord! Oh, Lord!...
Laverick, we've a few hundreds left. Give me something and let me
out of it. You're a stronger sort of man than I am. You can face
it,--I can't! Give me enough to get abroad with, and if ever I
do any good I'll remember it, I will indeed."

Laverick was silent for a moment. His companion watched his face
eagerly. After all, why not let him go? He was no help, no comfort.
The very sight of him was contemptible.

"I have paid no money into the bank for several days," Laverick said
slowly. "When they refused to help us, it was, of course, obvious
that they guessed how things were."

"Quite right, quite right!" the young man interrupted feverishly.
"They would have stuck to it against the overdraft. How much have
we got in the safe?"

"This afternoon," Laverick continued, "I changed all our cheques.
You can count the proceeds for yourself. There are, I think, eleven
hundred pounds. You can take two hundred and fifty, and you can take
them with you--to any place you like."

The young man was already at the safe. The notes were between them,
on the table. He counted quickly with the fingers of a born
manipulator of money. When he had gathered up two hundred and fifty
pounds, Laverick's hand fell upon his.

"No more," he ordered sternly.

"But, my dear fellow," Morrison protested, "half of eleven hundred
is five hundred and fifty. Why should we not go halves? That is
only fair, Laverick. It is little enough. We ought to have had a
great deal more."

Laverick pushed him contemptuously away and locked up the remainder
of the notes.

"I am letting you take two hundred and fifty pounds of this money,"
he said, "for various reasons. For one, I can bear this thing
better alone. As for the rest of the money, it remains there for
the accountant who liquidates our affairs. I do not propose to
touch a penny of it."

The young man buttoned up his coat with an hysterical little laugh.
Such ways were not his ways. They were not, indeed, within the
limit of his understanding. But of his partner he had learned one
thing, at least. The word of Stephen Laverick was the word of truth.
He shambled toward the door. On the whole, he was lucky to have
got the two hundred and fifty pounds.

"So long, Laverick," he said from the door.