t
what seemed to me to be the crushing slavery of soulless machinery."

The little financier lifted his shapely hand with a commanding gesture
and the speaker paused.

"Come to the point, Woodman, what is in your mind when you say that I
am your debtor?"

"Simply that I have always known that your formula for that drink was a
prescription which I compounded years ago and which you often filled
for me when I was busy. As a physician I could not patent such a thing.
You had as much right to patent it as any one else."

"In other words," Bivens interrupted coldly, "you inform me that you
have always known that I stole from your prescription counter the
formula which gave me my first fortune, and for that reason every
dollar I possess to-day is branded with the finger print of a thief;
and you, the upright physician, held by the old code of honour which
makes your profession a fraternity of ancient chivalry, come now with
your hat in hand and ask me for a share of this tainted money."

"Bivens," the doctor protested with dignity, "you know that I have made
no such wild accusation against you. In our contest I have never
stooped to personalities. I have always felt that the inherent justice
of my cause was based on principle. But I'm an old man to-night. The
sands of life are running low. I'm down and out. The one being I love
supremely is in peril. I can't fight."

Bivens turned with sudden fury and faced his visitor, every mask of
restraint thrown to the winds. His little bead-eyes flashed with the
venom of a snake coiled to strike. He stood close to the doctor and
looked up at his tall massive figure, stretching his own diminutive
form in a desperate effort to stand on a level with his enemy.

The doctor's face grew suddenly pale and his form rigid as the two men
stood holding each other's gaze for a moment without words.

The financier began to speak with slow venomous energy:

"I've let you ramble on in your maudlin talk, Woodman, because it
amused me. For years I've waited for your coming. Your unexpected
advent is the sweetest triumph of this festival night. The offer I made
you was at the suggestion of my wife. I did it solely to please her. I
think you will take my word for it to-night." He paused and a sinister
smile played about his mouth. "The last time I saw you I promised
myself that I'd make you come to me the next time, and when you did,
that you'd come on your hands and knees."

The doctor's big