member myself, but I don't trade on my piety."

"Well, there couldn't have been anything crooked about his fortune?"

Bivens chuckled softly.

"No. It was a masterpiece of fine art! His father was the original
founder of the importing trade graft. He was the first man to discover
that a colossal fortune could be made over night by swindling the
United States Government at the port of New York. His people have been
noted for their solid and substantial standing in the business world.
The head of the house was known as the premier among the high-toned
business men of the old school. His family set up his statue in a
public square in New York. I suppose they bribed the city fathers to
get a permit. Well, one day before this statue was unveiled a plain
little honest fool of a U.S. Treasury agent got onto the old man's
curves and the Government brought suit for a part of what he had
stolen. Old William Crookes paid into the Treasury the neat sum of one
million and compromised the case. Some of his modern imitators with
their false weights and scales haven't been so wise."

"The world has never heard of this--that's funny!" Stuart exclaimed.

"Not so funny, Jim, when you think of the power of money to make the
world forget. God only knows how many fortunes in America had their
origin in thefts from the Nation during the Civil War, and the
systematic frauds that have been practised on our Government since.
I've turned some pretty sharp tricks, Jim, in stalking my game in this
big man-hunt of Wall Street, but at least I've never robbed the wounded
or the dead on a battlefield and I've never used a dark lantern to get
into the Government vaults at Washington. I'm not asking you to stand
for that."

"If you did----"

"Yes, I know the answer, but speak softly, his majesty the king
approaches--long live the king!"

Bivens spoke in low, half-joking tones, but the excitement of his voice
told Stuart only too plainly that he fully appreciated the royal honour
his majesty was paying in this the first social visit he had ever made
to his home.

The little financier's eyes danced with pleasure and his delicate hand
trembled as he extended it to the great one.

The king gave him a pleasant nod and grasped Stuart's hand with a
hearty cordial grip. He was a man of few words, but he always said
exactly what he thought.

"I'm glad to meet you, Mr. Stuart. You've done us a good turn in
sending some of our crooks to the penitenti