"Mr. Tredgold prepared to draw up the required
agreement."]

He composed several, but none which seemed to give general satisfaction.
At the seventh attempt, however, he produced an agreement which, alluding
in vague terms to a treasure quest in the Southern Seas on the strength
of a map provided by Miss Vickers, promised one-fifth of the sum
recovered to that lady, and was considered to meet the exigencies of the
case. Miss Vickers herself, without being enthusiastic, said that she
supposed it would have to do.

Another copy was avoided, but only with great difficulty, owing to her
criticism of Mr. Stobell's signature. It took the united and verbose
efforts of Messrs. Chalk and Tredgold to assure her that it was in his
usual style, and rather a good signature for him than otherwise. Miss
Vickers, viewing it with her head on one side, asked whether he couldn't
make his mark instead; a question which Mr. Stobell, at the pressing
instance of his friends, left unanswered. Then Tredgold left the room to
pay a visit to his safe, and, the other two gentlemen turning out their
pockets, the required sum was made up, and with the agreement handed to
Miss Vickers in exchange for the map.

She bade them good-night, and then, opening the door, paused with her
hand on the knob and stood irresolute.

"I hope I've done right," she said, somewhat nervously. "It was no good
to anybody laying idle and being wasted. I haven't stolen anything."

"No, no," said Tredgold, hastily.

"It seems ridiculous for all that money to be wasted," continued Miss
Vickers, musingly. "It doesn't belong to anybody, so nobody can be hurt
by our taking it, and we can do a lot of good with it, if we like. I
shall give some of mine away to the poor. We all will. I'll have it put
in this paper."

She fumbled in her bodice for the document, and walked towards them.

"We can't alter it now," said Mr. Tredgold, decidedly.

"We'll do what's right," said Mr. Chalk, reassuringly.

Miss Vickers smiled at him. "Yes, I know you will," she said,
graciously, "and I think Mr. Tredgold will, but--"

"You're leaving that door open," said Mr. Stobell, coldly, "and the
draught's blowing my head off, pretty near."

Miss Vickers eyed him scornfully, but in the absence of a crushing reply
disdained one at all. She contented herself instead by going outside and
closing the door after her with a sharpness which stirred every hair on
his head.

"It's a