d go."

Andrew looked blank.

"Go?" he repeated.

"It is a euphemism for die," said his companion a little impatiently.
"This is a trivial matter, and hardly worth going into at any length.
It shows our process, however, and the process reveals the true
character of the organization. As I have already mentioned, the
Society takes for its first principle the sanctity of human life.
Everyone who has mixed much among his fellow-creatures must be aware
that this is adulterated, so to speak, by numbers of spurious
existences. Many of these are a nuisance to themselves. Others may at
an earlier period have been lives of great promise and fulfilment. In
the case of the latter, how sad to think that they should be dragged
out into worthlessness or dishonour, all for want of a friendly hand to
snap them short! In the lower form of life the process of preying upon
animals whose work is accomplished--that is, of weeding--goes on
continually. Man must, of course, be more cautious. The grand
function of the Society is to find out the persons who have a claim on
it, and in the interests of humanity to lay their condition before
them. After that it is in the majority of cases for themselves to
decide whether they will go or stay on."

"But," said Andrew, "had the gentleman in the Thames consented to go?"

"No, that was a case where assistance had to be given. He had been
sounded, though."

"And do you find," asked Andrew, "that many of them are--agreeable?"

"I admit," said the stranger, "that so far that has been our chief
difficulty. Even the men we looked upon as certainties have fallen
short of our expectations. There is Mallock, now, who said that life
was not worth living. I called on him only last week, fully expecting
him to meet me half-way."

"And he didn't?"

"Mallock was a great disappointment," said the stranger, with genuine
pain in his voice.

He liked Mallock.

"However," he added, brightening, "his case comes up for hearing at the
next meeting. If I have two-thirds of the vote we proceed with it."

"But how do the authorities take it?" asked Andrew.

"Pooh!" said the stranger.

Andrew, however, could not think so.

"It is against the law, you know," he said.

"The law winks at it," the stranger said. "Law has its feelings as
well as we. We have two London magistrates and a minister on the
executive, and the Lord Chief Justice is an honorary member."

Andrew raised his eyes.

"Th