-that my cousin here, or his firm, Cabot,
Bancroft and Cabot, bought that--ah--Development stock of yours, I
deceived you; I told you a falsehood. They did not buy it.... I bought
it, myself."

He blurted out the last sentence, after a short but apparent mental
struggle. Martha's chest heaved, but she said no word. The criminal
continued:

"I will not attempt at this time to tell you how I was--ah--forced into
buying it," he said; "further than to say that I--I had very foolishly
led you to count upon my cousin's buying it and--and felt a certain
responsibility and--a desire not to disappoint you. I--of course,
I should have told you the truth, but I did not. I bought the stock
myself."

Again he paused and still Martha was silent. Cousin Gussie seemed about
to speak and then to change his mind.

"Perhaps," went on Galusha, with a pitiful attempt at a smile, "you
might have forgiven me that, although it is doubtful, for you had
expressly forbidden my lending you money or--or assisting you in any
way, which I was--please believe this--very eager to do. But,
after having bought it, I, as I say, deceived you, falsified,
prevaricated--excuse me--lied to you, over and over.... Oh, dear me!"
he added, in a sudden burst, "I assure you it is unbelievable how many
falsehoods seemed to be necessary. I lied continually, I did, indeed.

"Well, that is all," he said. "That is all, I believe.... I--I am
very sorry.... After your extreme kindness to me, it was--I... I think
perhaps, if you will excuse me, I will go to my room. I am--ah--somewhat
agitated. Good-night."

He was turning away, but Cabot called to him.

"Here, wait a minute, Loosh," he cried. "There is one thing more
you haven't told us. Why on earth did you buy Hallett's four hundred
shares?"

Galusha put his hand to his forehead.

"Oh, yes, yes," he said. "Yes, of course. That was very simple. I
was--ah--as one may say, coerced by my guilty conscience. Captain
Hallett had learned--I don't know precisely how, but it is quite
immaterial--that Miss Phipps had, through me and to you, Cousin Gussie,
as he supposed, sold her shares. He wished me to sell his. I said I
could not. Then he said he should go to your office in Boston and see
you, or your firm, and sell them himself. I could not allow that, of
course. He would have discovered that I had never been there to sell
anything at all and--and might have guessed what had actually happened.
So I was obliged to bu