ithout the lawyers. You know wot it means once
_they_ take hold."

Then David set down the untasted wine and told the truth. Not
all--that was not to be dreamed of. In the depths of his heart he
feared Bulmer. The old man's repute for honesty was widespread. He
would fling his dearest friend into prison for such a swindle as that
arranged between Coke and the shipowner. But it was a positive relief
to divulge everything that concerned Iris. From his pocket-book David
produced her frayed letter, and Bulmer read it slowly, aloud, through
eyeglasses held at a long focus.

Now, given certain definite circumstances, an honest man and a rogue
will always view them differently. David had interpreted the girl's
guarded phrases in the light of his villainous compact with Coke.
Dickey, unaware of this disturbing element, was inwardly amazed to
learn that Verity had lied so outrageously with the sole object of
carrying through a commercial enterprise.

"'Tell him I shall marry him when the _Andromeda_ returns to England
from South America,'" he read. And again . . . "'The vessel is due
back at the end of September, I believe, so Mr. Bulmer will not have
long to wait.'"

If, in the first instance, David had not been swept off his feet by the
magnitude of the catastrophe, if he had not commenced the series of
prevarications before the letter reached him, he might have adopted the
only sane course and taken Bulmer fully into his confidence. It was
too late now. Explanation was useless. The only plea that occurred to
him was more deadly than silence, since it was her knowledge of the
contemplated crime that made Iris a stowaway. He had never guessed how
that knowledge was attained and the added mystery intensified his
torture.

Dickey rose from the table. His movements showed his age that night.

"I'll think it over, David," he said. "There's more in this than meets
the eye. I'll just go home an' think it over. Mebbe I'll call at your
place in the mornin'."

So here was Verity, awaiting Bulmer's visit as a criminal awaits a
hangman. There was no shred of hope in his mind that his one-time
crony would raise a finger to save him from bankruptcy. Some offenses
are unforgivable, and high in the list ranks the folly of separating a
wealthy old man from his promised bride.

Now that a reprieve was seemingly impossible, he faced his misfortunes
with a dour courage. It had been a difficult and thankless task dur