y of
truth, we tell a square, honest lie. But this is positively my last
interruption."

"You are to tell him that this friend of yours was very much interested
in his endeavors to find something to do, and sympathized with his
determination to wear a smile on his face and avoid baggy trousers to
the last. That I--I mean of course the friend--am willing to give him
the chance for which he asks to prove himself a man, by placing in your
hands a sufficient sum to found a banking-house of undoubted solvency.
He is to have complete control of this money, on which he may pay
interest if he chooses, in order to satisfy your business scruples, Mr.
Chelm; but he need never pay it back unless he wishes to do so,--the
particulars of all which you will understand how to arrange better than
I can tell you. Some day in the dim future, when he has realized his
ambition,--for don't imagine for an instant, Mr. Chelm, that I expect
him to make a fortune all at once,--he may return the original loan if
he sees fit. I shall be an old woman then, and should, it may be, have
less objection to being known as his benefactress than at present. Let
me see: is there anything else to say? As to the name of the firm, it
ought to be Francis Prime and Company, I presume; but the 'company' must
be a man of straw. He is to receive no outside help, not even from you.
There, I think I have made my wishes sufficiently plain."

"You do not desire him to give security for whatever you may advance?
Not a very business-like arrangement. But as for that, the whole scheme
is the most Utopian I ever heard of. These women, these women! It makes
a prudent man tremble to think what would become of the universe if they
had full sway! But I must submit, I suppose. I have given my word."

"I fear he has no security to offer unless it be Ike, the beautifully
ugly Ike; Ike the imperious! Do you suppose he would part with the
animal? I took rather a fancy to him, didn't you Mr. Chelm?"

"Nay, there I shall put down my foot. I will have no dogs in this
office. 'Love me, love my dog' is a maxim to which I could not subscribe
even in your case. No, unbusiness-like as it is, I prefer to make the
loan without security."

* * * * *

It may be easily imagined that during the next few days I was on tiptoe
with expectation. Let it be said at once, that I was quite aware that I
was about to commit what might fairly be considered a folly by
pr