turned abruptly toward me.

"And I know where he wanted to live for those six months. The old dream
was still with him. He wanted that country house in his native county
in England, with the formal garden and the lackeys. The finish didn't
bother him, but he wanted to round out his life with the dream that he
had carried about with him.

"I put him to bed and went down into Broadway, and walked about all
night. Tavor couldn't go back and he had to have a bunch of money.

"It was no good. I couldn't see it. I went back Tavor was up and I sat
him down to a cross examination that would have delighted the soul of a
Philadelphia lawyer."

Barclay paused.

"It was all at once that I saw it--like you'd snap your fingers. It
was an accident of Charlie's talk... one of those obiter dicta, that
I mentioned a while ago. But I stopped Charlie and went over to the
Metropolitan Library; there I got me an expert--an astronomer chap, as
it happened, reading calculus in French for fun--I gave him a twenty and
I looked him in the eye.

"Now, Professor,' I said, 'this dope's got to be straight stuff, I'm
risking money on it; every word you write has got to be the truth, and
every line and figure that you put on your map has got to be correct
with a capital K.'"

"'Surely,' he said, 'I shall follow Huxley for the text and I shall
check the chart calculations for error.'

"'And there's another thing, professor. You've got to go dumb on this
job, for which I double the twenty.' He looked puzzled, but when he
finally understood me, he said 'Surely' again, and I went back to my
apartment.

"'Charlie,' I said, 'how much money would it take for this English
country life business?'

"His eyes lighted up a little.

"'Well, Barclay, old man,' he replied, 'I've estimated it pretty
carefully a number of times. I could take Eldon's place for six months
with the right to purchase for two thousand dollars paid down; and
I could manage the servants and the living expenses for another four
thousand. I fear I should not be able to get on with a less sum than six
thousand dollars.'

"Then," he added--he was a child to the last--"perhaps Mr. Hardman will
now be able to advance it; he promised me 'a further per cent'," those
were his words, when the matter was finally concluded.

"Then ten thousand would do?"

"My word,' he said, 'I should go it like a lord on ten thousand. Do you
think Mr. Hardman would consider that sum?'

"'I'm going