ts victim it quickly
converts the honest, upright man into a conscienceless rogue, who soon
becomes the centre of a widespread circle of ruin and untold misery!
Look at this fellow Cuthbertson. He had an honest and honourable
father; and, as I understand you, was, to start with, himself perfectly
honest and honourable; yet look at him now! What is he? Why, simply a
dishonoured corpse, hastily huddled away into a suicide's grave; a man
who, having utterly spoiled his life, has presumptuously and prematurely
hurried into the presence of his Maker, burdened not only with the heavy
load of his own sin but also with the responsibility for all the ruin
and misery which he has left behind him! Moralising, however, will not
help you, my boy; for if I know anything at all about you it is that you
are not the sort of character to make such a horrible mess of your life
as that poor wretch has done. But now, the question is: What can I do
to help you and your respected mother out of this slough into which
another man's weakness and sin have plunged you both? Not very much, I
am afraid; for I cannot restore to you the property of which you are
robbed. That appears to be gone beyond recall. But I can do this for
you--and it may possibly help you a little--I can give you a letter of
introduction to a man who is under very heavy obligations to me, and
who--being a thoroughly good fellow--will be more than glad to discharge
those obligations if I will only afford him the opportunity to do so.
You shall go to him and give him full and complete particulars of this
terrible misfortune that has befallen you; and if there is anything at
all to be saved out of the wreckage, he will save it for you, without
fee and without reward--for my sake. He, too, is a solicitor, but an
honest one, as many still are, thank God; and it is a solicitor whose
aid will be most useful to you in the unravelling of this tangled
skein."

"I say, Doctor, that is awfully good of you," exclaimed Dick, struggling
to conceal his emotion of gratitude, after the manner of the Englishman,
but not altogether succeeding. "If the matter concerned myself alone,"
he continued, "I would not let you do this thing for me; but I must
think of my poor mother, and for her sake must humble my pride and
suppress the assertion of my independence so far as to accept your help,
so kindly and generously offered. And here let me say that there is no
man on earth whose help I wou