give the shop an uncommon thrivin' look. Oh, we'll make
a splendid appearance of doin' business, and we'll have lots of
witnesses ready to bother these sharp lawyers if need be--won't we,
Boone?"

Poor Boone, whose colour had not yet improved much, smiled in a ghastly
way, but said nothing.

"Well, then," resumed Gorman, after a few minutes' meditation, "when
this thriving trade is in full swing we'll get it insured. You know it
would never do to risk the loss of such valuable stock by fire--eh,
Boone? common prudence pints that out! You say what you have is worth
fifty, and what you'll lay in is fifty more, makin' a hundred, so we'll
insure for five hundred; there's a clear gain of four hundred per cent,
only think of that! Well, the house I have already insured for five
hundred, that makes nine hundred, and we'll insure the furniture and
fixings for fifty; that'll look business-like, you know. Then the goods
laid in will be carefully removed in the night at various times before
the fire, so you had better see that they are small and portable
objects; that'll make another fifty pounds, if not more. So I see my
way to a thousand pounds. That's a neat sum, ain't it, Boone?"

Still Boone made no reply, but favoured his visitor with another ghastly
smile.

"Well, then," pursued Gorman, "all you've got to do is, on a certain
night that I will fix, to set the shop alight, and the thing's done
quite easy. But that's not all. You've got an old mother, I believe;
well, it would be very unnatural in you to run the risk of being burned
to death, an' leaving her penniless; so you'll insure your life for five
hundred pounds, and I'll pay the first premium on it, and then you'll
die--"

"Die!" exclaimed Boone, with a start.

"Ay; why not, if you're to get a small fortune by it."

"But how's that to be managed?" inquired Boone, with a look of doubt.

"Managed? Nothing easier. You'll be so desperately upset by the fire--
perhaps singed a little too--that you'll be taken ill and won't get
better. I'll look carefully after you as your loving friend, and when
you're about dead you'll get up and clear off in a quiet way. I'll make
arrangements to have a corpse as like you as possible put in your bed,
and then you'll be buried comfortably, and we'll share the insurance.
Of course you'll have to leave this part of the town and disguise
yourself, but that won't be difficult. Why, man, if you were only fond
of a joke