Cock and Spur and my Athenaeum days in Boston.

It was on one of these festive occasions--not unlike, my readers
may recall, my famous translation from college during my banquet
at the Cambridge Tavern--that Fate struck me my first severe blow.
My guests were still sitting at table while one of the ladies
executed a fantastic dance amid the wine-glasses, when my butler
touched me upon the arm and whispered that Mr. Gottlieb was outside
and desired to see me on urgent business. Excusing myself, I
hurried out, greeting my partner rather impatiently, as I disliked
to be interrupted by business details in my hours of relaxation;
but one sight of his weazened little hawk face sufficed to tell me
that no trifling matter was at stake. He was in his day clothes,
which were even more than ordinarily dishevelled, and his face,
usually pale, was chalklike.

"Quibble," he cried in a rasping voice as soon as my man had gone,
"our luck's turned! That woman has tricked us. She and Bunce went
down to Crookshank's office and, under the pretext of looking for
some deed or release, went through his papers and turned up some
letters from Hawkins in regard to the original divorce proceedings.
They've got one in which he admits being served by Bunce in the
Astor House and asks Crookshank to appear for him. They've got
another, written after Dillingham had fixed him, telling Crookshank
to put in no defence. Yesterday she and Bunce went before the
grand jury, who returned an indictment against Hawkins for perjury.
Then she telegraphed him to come on to New York and meet her to
arrange some money matters; and when he stepped off the train this
afternoon he was arrested and taken to police head-quarters."

"My God!" I cried, turning quite faint. "What's to be done?"

"Get him out of the way as soon as possible!" answered Gottlieb,
his lips trembling. "To-morrow morning he will be arraigned in
the General Sessions. They are going to ask for fifty thousand
dollars bail. We've got to have it. It's the only thing that
stands between us and State prison, for they've got the goods on
Hawkins and unless we see him safe he'll turn on us and help them
send us up!"

"Have you seen him?" I gasped.

"I've just come from head-quarters," he answered. "The fool had
been drinking and had given up a lot of information already. So
I frightened him until he agreed to shut up. They trouble is we
gave him too much money. He says now that unles