tell me all about it," Laverick persisted, "whatever
it is. I will help you if I can."

Morrison shook his head. There was a glass of water by his side.
He thrust his finger into it and passed it across his lips. They
were dry, almost cracking.

"Look here," he said, "I've got a breakdown--that's what's the
matter with me. My nerves were never good. I'm afraid of going
mad. The anxiety of the last few weeks has been too much for me.
I want to get out of the country quickly, and I don't know how to
manage it. I can't think. Directly I try to think my head goes
round."

"There is nothing in the world to prevent your going away," Laverick
answered. "It is the simplest matter possible. Even if we had gone
under to-day, no one could have stopped your going wherever you
chose to go. Ruin, even if it had been ruin,--and I told you just
now that business was better,--is not a crime. Pull yourself
together, for Heaven's sake, man! You should be ashamed to come
here and frighten that poor little girl downstairs almost to death."

Morrison gripped his partner's arm.

"You must do as I ask," he declared hoarsely. "It doesn't matter
about prices being better. I want to get away. You must help me."

Laverick looked at him steadily. Morrison was an ordinary young
man of his type, something of a swaggerer, probably at heart a
coward. But this was no ordinary fear--not even the ordinary fear
of a coward. Laverick's face became graver. There was something
else, then!

"I will get you out of the country if I can," said he. "There is
no difficulty about it at all unless you are concealing something
from me. You can catch a fast steamer to-morrow, either for South
Africa or New York, but before I make any definite plans, hadn't
you better tell me exactly what happened last night?"

Once more Morrison's lips parted without the ability to frame words.
Then a feeble moan escaped him. He threw up his hands and his head
fell back. The ghastliness of his face spread almost to his lips,
and he sank back among the pillows. Laverick strode across the
room to the door.

"Are you anywhere about?" he called out.

The girl was by his side in a moment.

"There is nothing to be alarmed at," he said, "but your brother has
fainted. Bring me some sal volatile if you have it, and I think
that you had better run out and get a doctor. I will stay with him.
I know exactly what to do."

She pointed to the dressing-table