sufficient intelligence, not only to rob your victims, but to rob your
friends.

"Another piece of life's philosophy that roughing it has taught me is
that the robber is always poor. I come, therefore, to the natural
deduction that you are hard up."

Paul's whole expression of face changed suddenly. The coldness left
it. And his keen eyes smiled with a smile that invited confidence from
the man before him.

"Well?" said Boris. "And what of it?"

"Then," Paul continued coolly, "such a sum as two hundred thousand
roubles would not come amiss to you. Such a sum I am prepared to pay
you--under certain conditions."

All the pleasantness in Paul's face vanished again, and he looked at
Boris with narrowed eyes.

"You realize that in my offering you such a sum," he said, "it will,
of course, cost you something to earn it. A man who speculates must
spend his own money to gain other people's. A criminal--you must
forgive the word, but it is necessary--who seeks to make a great
_coup_ at the expense of others must put up a certain amount of money
to bring it off.

"I think, however, that I am offering you quite enough to enable you
to buy either the silence or the inactivity of your fellow criminals.
Two hundred thousand roubles is a good deal of money, and your gang
cannot be so large that you will not be able to afford a sufficient
sum to render them your servants."

"Have a care," cried Boris, angrily, at last; "you don't know what you
say."

"What do you mean?" demanded Paul.

"I mean," said Boris, "that I do not propose to be insulted any longer
in my own house. Your offer of money is an affront which you will pay
well for." He looked thoughtfully away for a few moments; then he
turned sharply.

"I will be perfectly frank with you," he said with an amazingly good
attempt at breezy honesty. "All of my friends are not particularly
nice people, and if they had any idea that you were objectionable to
me, not even the consideration of tapping your vast wealth would
restrain them from putting you out of the way."

"There is such a thing," said Paul, lightly, "as killing the goose
which lays the golden eggs."

"Yes," replied Boris, gravely, "but even a supply of golden eggs may
be retained at too dear a price.

"However," he went on with an air of gaiety, "this is rather too
serious a matter to consider to-night. I simply intended to throw out
a kindly hint."

"I'm sure you are very good," said Paul, with a fi