at trouble," I interrupted.

"No, I had to see you to-night. To-morrow you would have probated that
old Will instead of----"

"Writing out our resignations."

"What do you mean?" he gasped.

"Am I not clear enough?"

"You don't mean to say you won't carry this thing through?"

"I hoped you would come to your senses, Mr. Bateman, before a
declination was necessary," I observed, keeping my eyes steadily upon
the twitching face of my client.

He stared at me for a moment in silence, and then burst out,

"Nonsense, Wainwright, nonsense! You don't understand! What's the matter
with you, anyway? I have desperate need of money and cannot get it from
any ordinary channel without ruin. I so arrange that I shall be thought
dead. I have absolutely no relations. You collect my life insurance and
pay the money where I direct, and I am saved financially. I can then
return and the amount paid by the life Insurance Companies will be
refunded, and who, in God's name, is hurt?"

"I have heard," I began, smiling, "that emergency evolves ethics,
but----"

"O don't go sermonizing about ethics, and stop that silly smiling!
Either I'm crazy, in which case you ought to humour me, or sane, and
entitled to an intelligent hearing. I understand the proposition is a
new one. It is made for new facts. But that does not argue it a crime.
The only possible wrong in it is involved in the probate affidavits,
but you know in nine out of ten cases you don't comply with the statutes
in making affidavits, so there's no perjury. I only ask you to tell a
lie--a lie which cannot possibly hurt anybody, but which will save me."

"And incidentally help to perpetrate a fraud on the Insurance
Companies."

"An innocent fraud!--We will return the money with interest the moment
it goes through."

"And if it does not go through?"

"It will.--It cannot fail, I tell you! But if it does," Mr. Bateman
looked me steadily in the eyes, "if it does fail, no harm will be done.
I shall be dead. Before God, I swear it."

There was tragedy written on the man's earnest face, and a note of
pathos sounded in his voice. For a moment neither of us spoke.

"Mr. Bateman," I said at last. "Because I have listened to you, you must
not suppose I have for one instant countenanced your scheme. It is
impossible from beginning to end. Suppose we terminate this
interview----"

"I see it!" he exclaimed suddenly--"I see it! You think the plan will
fail and you take some risk