an
imperfect morality, of a glimmering wisdom, of an ineffectual religion:
in all places he is the same,--the same savage and crafty being, who
makes the passions which rule himself the tools of his conquest
over others! There is in all creation but one evident
law,--self-preservation! Split it as you like into hairbreadths and
atoms, it is still fundamentally and essentially unaltered. Glendower,
that self-preservation is our bond now. Of myself I do not at present
speak; I refer only to you: self-preservation commands you to place
implicit confidence in me; it impels you to abjure indigence, by
accepting the proposal I am about to make to you."

"You, as yet, speak enigmas," said Glendower; "but they are sufficiently
clear to tell me their sense is not such as I have heard you utter."

"You are right. Truth is not always safe,--safe either to others, or to
ourselves! But I dare open to you now my real heart: look in it; I dare
to say that you will behold charity, benevolence, piety to God, love and
friendship at this moment to yourself; but I own, also, that you will
behold there a determination--which to me seems courage--not to be the
only idle being in the world, where all are busy; or, worse still, to be
the only one engaged in a perilous and uncertain game, and yet shunning
to employ all the arts of which he is master. I will own to you that,
long since, had I been foolishly inert, I should have been, at this
moment, more penniless and destitute than yourself. I live happy,
respected, wealthy! I enjoy in their widest range the blessings of life.
I dispense those blessings to others. Look round the world: whose name
stands fairer than mine? whose hand relieves more of human distresses?
whose tongue preaches purer doctrines? None, Glendower, none. I offer to
you means not dissimilar to those I have chosen, fortunes not unequal to
those I possess. Nothing but the most unjustifiable fastidiousness will
make you hesitate to accept my offer."

"You cannot expect that I have met you this night with a resolution to
be unjustifiably fastidious," said Glendower, with a hollow and cold
smile.

Crauford did not immediately answer, for he was considering whether
it was yet the time for disclosing the important secret. While he was
deliberating, the sullen clouds began to break from their suspense.
A double darkness gathered around, and a few large drops fell on the
ground in token of a more general discharge about to fol