It took two years to thoroughly break him so that she could always be
sure that his nails were trimmed and his clothes in perfect style. He
had long since ceased to struggle and had found much happiness of late
years in vying with her in the perfection of his personal appearance
until he had come to fit into the great establishments, which he had
built at her suggestion, as though to the manor born.

When the dinner was finished Bivens dismissed the waiter, lighted one
of his huge cigars and drew from a morocco case which he had placed
beside his chair a type-written manuscript. He turned its leaves
thoughtfully a moment and handed them to Stuart.

"There's a document, Jim, that cost me ten thousand dollars to prepare;
for whose suppression a million dollars would be paid and no questions
asked."

"And you give it to me?" the District Attorney asked, with a smile.

"I give it to you."

"But why this generosity on your part, Cal?"

The sarcasm which the lawyer threw into the playful banter of his tone
was not lost on the financier. The mask of his cunning, dark visage was
not slipped for a moment as he slowly replied:

"I have anticipated that question. I answer it fully and frankly. There
is enough dynamite in that document to blow up half of Wall Street and
land somebody in the White House."

"And many in the morgue?"

"And some in the penitentiary. I've watched your work the past nine
years with genuine pride, Jim. You've said a lot of hard things about
rich malefactors, but you've never touched me."

"No, I think you're too shrewd to be caught in that class, Cal."

"I pride myself that I am. It's only the clumsy fool who gets tangled
in the criminal law. But a lot of them have done it--big fellows whose
names fill the world with noise. I've taken the pains to put into that
type-written document the names, the dates, the places, the deeds, the
names of the witnesses and all the essential facts. Do what you please
with it. If you do what I think you will, some men who are wearing
purple and fine linen will be wearing stripes before another year and
you will be the biggest man in New York."

"And your motive?"

"Does it matter?"

"It vitally affects the credibility of this story."

"You must know my motive?"

"I prefer to be sure of it before taking so important and daring an
action as you suggest."

Bivens rose and stood before his friend with his smooth hands folded
behind his back.

"You be