introduction where you can see her, and now you come
here and tell me you don't know and you can't find out. It won't do,
Feist. You're no better than you used to be when you were my secretary
last year. You're a pretty bright young fellow when you don't drink,
but when you do you're about as useful as a painted clock--and even a
painted clock is right twice in twenty-four hours. It's more than you
are. The only good thing about you is that you can hold your tongue,
drunk or sober. I admit that.'

Having relieved himself of this plain opinion Isidore Bamberger waited
to hear what Feist had to say, keeping his eyes fixed on the unhealthy
face.

'I've not been drinking lately, anyhow,' he answered, 'and I'll tell
you one thing, Mr. Bamberger, and that is, that I'm just as anxious as
you can be to see this thing through, every bit.'

'Well, then, don't waste time! I don't care a cent about the divorce,
except that it will bring the whole affair into publicity. At soon as
all the papers are down on him, I'll start in on the real thing. I
shall be ready by that time. I want public opinion on both sides of
the ocean to run strong against him, as it ought to, and it's just
that it should. If I don't manage that, he may get off in the end in
spite of your evidence.'

'Look here, Mr. Bamberger,' said Feist, waking up, 'if you want my
evidence, don't talk of dropping me as you did just now, or you won't
get it, do you understand? You've paid me the compliment of telling me
that I can hold my tongue. All right. But it won't suit you if I hold
my tongue in the witness-box, will it? That's all, Mr. Bamberger. I've
nothing more to say about that.'

There was a sudden vehemence in the young man's tone which portrayed
that in spite of his broken nerves he could still be violent. But
Isidore Bamberger was not the man to be brow-beaten by any one he
employed. He almost smiled when Feist stopped speaking.

'That's all right,' he said half good-naturedly and half
contemptuously. 'We understand each other. That's all right.'

'I hope it is,' Feist answered in a dogged way. 'I only wanted you to
know.'

'Well, I do, since you've told me. But you needn't get excited like
that. It's just as well you gave up studying medicine and took to
business, Feist, for you haven't got what they call a pleasant bedside
manner.'

Mr. Feist had once been a medical student, but had given up the
profession on inheriting a sum of money with which h