oice of conduct that must
needs involve the sacrifice of sums large enough to be spoken of with
awe, even in the sacred precincts of a bank, poor Dr. Conrad felt that
all his powers of counsel had been outshot, and that his mind was
reeling on its pedestal. That a poor man should give up his savings
_en bloc_ to help a friend would have seemed to him natural and
reasonable; that he should do so for honest love of a woman still
more so; but that a millionaire should renounce his millions! Was
it decent? was it proper? was it considerate to Mammon? But that
must have been Fenwick's meaning, too. The doctor did not recover his
speech before Fenwick spoke again:

"Why should I claim all my property? How should I be the gainer if
it made Rosey unhappy?"

"I see. I quite see. I feel with you, you know; feel as you do. But
what will become of the money?"

"The poor darling money? Just think! It will lie neglected at the
bank, unclaimed, forsaken, doing no more mischief than when it was
harmless dust and nuggets in the sand of the Klondyke. While it was
there, gold was a bit--a mighty small bit--dearer than it has become
since. Now that it is in the keeping of chaps who won't give it up
half as easily as the Klondyke did, I suppose it has appreciated
again, as the saying is. The difference of cost between getting it out
of the ground and out of the bank is a negligible factor...." Fenwick
seemed to find ease in chatting economics in this way. Some of it was
so obviously true to Vereker that he at once concluded it would be
classed among fallacies; he had had experience of this sort of thing.
But he paid little attention, as he was thinking of how much of this
interview he could repeat to Sally, to whom every step they took
brought him nearer. The roar of a lion in his path was every moment
more audible to the ears of his imagination. And it left him silent;
but Fenwick went on speaking:

"We won't trouble about the darling dust and nuggets; let them lie
in pawn, and wait for a claimant. They won't find Mr. Harrisson's
heir-at-law in a hurry. If ever proof comes of the death of Mrs.
Harrisson--whoever she was--I'll be Mr. Harrisson again. Till
then...."

"Till then what?"

"Till then, Vereker dear"--Fenwick said this very seriously, with
emphasis--"till then we shall do most wisely to say nothing further
to Mrs. Fenwick or to Sally. You must see that it won't be possible
to pick and choose, to tell this and reserve that