tontine, and with
that the last hope of his seven thousand eight hundred pounds. But on
the other hand, since the shilling to the hansom cabman, he had begun to
see that crime was expensive in its course, and, since the loss of the
water-butt, that it was uncertain in its consequences. Quietly at first,
and then with growing heat, he reviewed the advantages of backing out.
It involved a loss; but (come to think of it) no such great loss after
all; only that of the tontine, which had been always a toss-up, which at
bottom he had never really expected. He reminded himself of that
eagerly; he congratulated himself upon his constant moderation. He had
never really expected the tontine; he had never even very definitely
hoped to recover his seven thousand eight hundred pounds; he had been
hurried into the whole thing by Michael's obvious dishonesty. Yes, it
would probably be better to draw back from this high-flying venture,
settle back on the leather business----

"Great God!" cried Morris, bounding in the hansom like a Jack-in-a-box.
"I have not only not gained the tontine--I have lost the leather
business!"

Such was the monstrous fact. He had no power to sign; he could not draw
a cheque for thirty shillings. Until he could produce legal evidence of
his uncle's death, he was a penniless outcast--and as soon as he
produced it he had lost the tontine! There was no hesitation on the part
of Morris; to drop the tontine like a hot chestnut, to concentrate all
his forces on the leather business and the rest of his small but
legitimate inheritance, was the decision of a single instant. And the
next, the full extent of his calamity was suddenly disclosed to him.
Declare his uncle's death? He couldn't! Since the body was lost Joseph
had (in a legal sense) become immortal.

There was no created vehicle big enough to contain Morris and his woes.
He paid the hansom off and walked on he knew not whither.

"I seem to have gone into this business with too much precipitation,"
he reflected, with a deadly sigh. "I fear it seems too ramified for a
person of my powers of mind."

And then a remark of his uncle's flashed into his memory: If you want to
think clearly, put it all down on paper. "Well, the old boy knew a thing
or two," said Morris. "I will try; but I don't believe the paper was
ever made that will clear my mind."

He entered a place of public entertainment, ordered bread and cheese,
and writing materials, and sat down be