'

'That it was of no use, and that I do not know the Logans.'

'But you do?'

'I think so.'

'You think right. No, not for all his lands and mines I won't.'

'Not for the name?'

'Not for the kingdoms of the earth,' said Logan.

'It is a great refusal.'

'I have really no temptation to accept,' said Logan. 'I am not built
that way. So what next? If the old boy could only see her--'

'I doubt if that would do any good, though, of course, if I were you I
should think so. He goes north to-night. You can't take the lady to
Kirkburn. And you can't write to him.'

'Of course not,' said Logan; 'of course it would be all up if he knew
that I know.'

'There is this to be said--it is not a very pleasant view to take--he
can't live long. He came to see some London specialist--it is his heart,
I think--'

'_His_ heart!

How Fortune aristophanises
And how severe the fun of Fate!'

quoted Logan.

'The odd thing is,' said Merton, 'that I do believe he has a heart. I
rather like him. At all events, I think, from what I saw, that a sudden
start might set him off at any moment, or an unusual exertion. And he
may go off before I tell him that I can do nothing with you--'

'Oh, hang that,' said Logan, 'you make me feel like a beastly assassin!'

'I only want you to understand how the land lies.' Merton dropped his
voice again, 'He has made a will leaving you everything.'

'Poor old cock! Look here, I believe I had better write, and say that
I'm awfully touched and obliged, but that I can't come into his views, or
break my word, and then, you know, he can just make another will. It
would be a swindle to let him die, and come into his property, and then
go dead against his wishes.'

'But it would be all right to give me away, I suppose, and let him
understand that I had violated professional confidence?'

'Only with a member of the firm. That is no violation.'

'But then I should have told him that you _were_ a member of the firm.'

'I'm afraid you should.'

'Logan, you have the ideas of a schoolboy. I _had_ to be certain as to
how you would take it, though, of course, I had a very good guess. And
as to what you say about the chances of his dying and leaving everything
where he would not have left it if he had been sure you would act against
his wishes--I believe you are wrong. What he really cares about is "the
name." His ghost will put up with your disobedience if the name keeps
its