give me a little more time, and
I'll--"

"Very good," interrupted Gorman, with an oath, as he rose and dashed his
pipe into fragments on the hearth; "if you won't burn yourself out o'
this scrape."

"Hush! hush, man!" said Boone in a hoarse whisper; "not so loud; my lad
will hear you. Come, I'll think of it."

"Will you _do_ it?" demanded the other fiercely. "You know the
alternative if you don't?"

"Ruination?"

"Exactly so; and that without delay."

"Ruination either way," murmured Boone sadly to himself, as though he
were counting the cost.

"Tut, man," said his landlord, becoming more gentle, "it's nothing of
the sort. If you only take my advice, it'll be a jolly blaze, which,
instead of ending in smoke will end in some thousands of pounds and
commencing business again on fresh capital. Come, I've not got time to
waste with you. There's no escape for you, so you'd better say yes,
else I'll go and have a talk with a legal friend of mine who is used to
screwing gold out of most unpromising mines."

David Boone's face had by this time become so pale that it could not
become paler, so it turned somewhat green instead. His teeth, too, had
a tendency to chatter when he spoke, but by a strong mental effort he
prevented this, and said in a subdued voice that he was willing to do
whatever his landlord pleased to command.

"That's all right," said Gorman, resuming his seat in front of the fire;
"now you speak like a man. Sit down and I'll go over the matter with
you, and make your mind easy by showing you that it ain't either a
difficult or risky piece of work. Bless you, it ain't the first time
I've been up to that sort o' thing."

It did not require the diabolical leer that accompanied this remark to
convince his hearer of its truth.

"Now, then," said Gorman, with a business air, "first of all, how stands
the stock in the shop?"

"Rather low," answered Boone, who had reseated himself on the stool; "in
fact, I've got little or nothing more than what is visible. I've bin so
hard-up of late that I've had to crowd everything into view an' make the
most of appearances. All the dressed dolls has got their frocks spread
out, and the undressed ones their arms an' legs throwed about to make
'em take up as much room as possible. The lids of all the work boxes is
open, the slates and puzzle boxes stuck up in single rows, with their
broadsides to the front, and the collapsin' worlds is all inflated.
Everyt