magined at the beginning that
I might have murdered the poor girl."

"Nonthenth," the financier assured her.

"I have scarcely had any sleep," she went on reproachfully. "It is a
wonder I am not thoroughly ill. And now you--from whom I should have
expected consideration--come here with a face like a rock, and announce
your intention to be unpleasant. If I didn't know you so well, I might
have believed you."

Mr. Gluckstein glanced towards the door, and drew his chair closer to
her.

"Let us understand each other," he said deliberately. "At the present
time you owe me a large thum of money."

"Gospel truth," she admitted.

"Very much more than you could pothibly pay, if I came down on you."

She uttered a sigh of relief.

"At last you realize that!" she exclaimed thankfully.

"Also," continued Mr. Gluckstein, "you owe money to various other
people."

"Your veracity," she confessed, "is beyond question."

"Almosth ath much ath you owe to me."

"Quite as much," she said cheerfully.

"And you owe me," he continued--"twelve thousand poundth."

"The first time I have looked the evil fully in the face," she
shuddered.

His small eyes regarded her intently.

"The last half of that--I lent to you on a certain understanding."

"Understanding?" she echoed languidly.

"Yeth."

"What did you understand?"

"That you intended to become engaged to George Copplesthone, who would
pay your debths when you married him."

A quick change swept over her. She became hard and calculating.

"Well?" she returned.

"You have not become engaged to him."

"No."

"Some one elth became engaged to him."

"Yes," she said calmly.

"That doth not look," he concluded, "like fulfillment of the
understanding."

"Doesn't it?" she retorted.

He glanced again at the door, and came still closer.

"Lithen," he said slowly. "I have been your friendth. I have done for
you what I would not have done for any one elth. I have treated you
fairly, and I have never prethed you."

She softened immediately.

"You have been very kind to me," she said gratefully.

"You muth be my friendth too. I muth tell you my thecret. Promith me
faithfully that you will keep it."

She looked at him in astonishment.

"Certainly I will keep it," she agreed.

"Five days ago," Mr. Gluckstein informed her painfully, "my partner
abthconded, and left me almosth a ruined man."

Her face expressed genuine sympathy.

"I am very sorry," she said