fortunate
beggar his conge. Ills that one need not bear; evils that it is no
longer necessary to endure--they have all been eliminated by the simple
process of excluding from the spectrum the ultra blue-and-violet rays.
A palpable evasion, of course. Call it immoral, if you will, and I
shall not lift the gauntlet. Why should we quarrel over phrases when it
is only required to return thanks to the good Dr. Magnus for his
beneficent discovery? That is enough for me at least. Carpe diem, or,
more precisely, noctem.

It was Dr. Magnus himself who later on introduced us to Chivers in the
common room--Chivers, a little man of Semitic physiognomy, with a hard,
knobbed face and a screw of black beard. He addressed himself
effusively to Indiman, while the doctor and I remained spectators,
silent but interested.

"A dealer in adventures, a specialist in the grotesque--ah, I like
that, Mr. Indiman. The rest of us"--this with a gesture inexpressibly
mean and fawning--"prefer to haggle over the lion's skin after it has
been cured and dressed. It's a mere question of temperament, dear sir."

"What have you to say to me?" inquired Indiman, abruptly. I could see
that he wanted to kick him.

"I have an adventure--of the first class. I desire to dispose of it."

"Yes."

"A noble, a surpassing adventure. Moreover, a commercial opening that
is not to be despised--fifty per cent on your capital every six months."

"Yes."

"I offer you, then, my well-established business of adjuster of
averages, good-will and office fixtures included."

"But I never even heard of such a profession. I know nothing about
averages and their adjustment."

"What difference! It is the adventure that particularly concerns you,
is it not? The business--pouf! it runs itself." "And the terms?"

"I make them ridiculously easy. You are to take over the business,
including the lease of my offices in the Barowsky Brothers' bank
building, William H. Seward Square. In return for this accommodation I
am prepared to pay you the sum of ten thousand dollars." Mr. Chivers
grinned cheerfully as he concluded this astounding proposition. He
pulled ten new one-thousand-dollar bills from his waistcoat-pocket and
laid them on the table.

Indiman regarded the little man thoughtfully. "You have been in
business for your health?" he inquired, with an affectation of polite
interest.

"You have hit it exactly," returned the imperturbable Chivers. "I was
pretty rocky when