He has refused to do one act which could in any way aid me in my
objects. In fact, from the first to the last, he has been nothing but an
expense and an encumbrance to us both."

"All that is strictly true."

"And yet, although you, as well as I, know of a marvellously ready way
of getting rid of such encumbrances, I must own, that I shrink with more
than a feeling of reluctance from the murder of the youth."

"You contemplated it then?" asked the other.

"No; I cannot be said to have contemplated it. That is not the proper
sort of expression to use."

"What is then?"

"To contemplate a deed seems to me to have some close connexion to the
wish to do it."

"And you have no such wish?"

"I have no such wish, and what is more I will not do it."

"Then that is sufficient; and the only question that remains for you to
confide, is, what you will do. It is far easier in all enterprises to
decide upon what we will not do, than upon what we will. For my own part
I must say that I can perceive no mode of extricating ourselves from
this involvement with anything like safety."

"Then it must be done with something like danger."

"As you please."

"You say so, and your words bear a clear enough signification; but from
your tone I can guess how much you are dissatisfied with the aspect of
affairs."

"Dissatisfied!"

"Yes; I say, dissatisfied. Be frank, and own that which it is in vain to
conceal from me. I know you too well; arch hypocrite as you are, and
fully capable of easily deceiving many, you cannot deceive me."

"I really cannot understand you."

"Then I will take care that you shall."

"How?"

"Listen. I will not have the life of Charles Holland taken."

"Who wishes to take it?"

"You."

"There, indeed, you wrong me. Unless you yourself thought that such an
act was imperatively called for by the state of affairs, do you think
that I would needlessly bring down upon my head the odium as well as the
danger of such a deed? No, no. Let him live, if you are willing; he may
live a thousand years for all I care."

"'Tis well. I am, mark me, not only willing, but I am determined that he
shall live so far as we are concerned. I can respect the courage that,
even when he considered that his life was at stake, enabled him to say
no to a proposal which was cowardly and dishonourable, although it went
far to the defeat of my own plans and has involved me in much trouble."

"Hush! hush!"

"What is it?"

"