ng his old friend's deep little
eyes, he stopped. "So you advise me to get off to-morrow, then?"

Old Heythorp nodded.

"Your lunch is served, sir."

Joe Pillin started violently, and rose.

"Well, good-bye, Sylvanus-good-bye! I don't suppose I shall be back till
the summer, if I ever come back!" He sank his voice: "I shall rely on
you. You won't let them, will you?"

Old Heythorp lifted his hand, and Joe Pillin put into that swollen
shaking paw his pale and spindly fingers. "I wish I had your pluck," he
said sadly. "Good-bye, Sylvanus," and turning, he passed out.

Old Heythorp thought: 'Poor shaky chap. All to pieces at the first
shot!' And, going to his lunch, ate more heavily than usual.

2

Mr. Ventnor, on reaching his office and opening his letters, found, as he
had anticipated, one from "that old rascal." Its contents excited in him
the need to know his own mind. Fortunately this was not complicated by a
sense of dignity--he only had to consider the position with an eye on not
being made to look a fool. The point was simply whether he set more
store by his money than by his desire for--er--Justice. If not, he had
merely to convene the special meeting, and lay before it the plain fact
that Mr. Joseph Pillin, selling his ships for sixty thousand pounds, had
just made a settlement of six thousand pounds on a lady whom he did not
know, a daughter, ward, or what-not--of the purchasing company's
chairman, who had said, moreover, at the general meeting, that he stood
or fell by the transaction; he had merely to do this, and demand that an
explanation be required from the old man of such a startling coincidence.
Convinced that no explanation would hold water, he felt sure that his
action would be at once followed by the collapse, if nothing more, of
that old image, and the infliction of a nasty slur on old Pillin and his
hopeful son. On the other hand, three hundred pounds was money; and, if
old Heythorp were to say to him: "What do you want to make this fuss
for--here's what I owe you!" could a man of business and the world let
his sense of justice--however he might itch to have it satisfied--stand
in the way of what was after all also his sense of Justice?--for this
money had been owing to him for the deuce of along time. In this
dilemma, the words:

"My solicitors will be instructed" were of notable service in helping him
to form a decision, for he had a certain dislike of other solicito