rt money-lending line; one of the
fellows who deal with minors and others on post-obits."

"Post-obits?"

"Promises to pay after somebody's dead. Suppose there should be only an
invalid or an old man between you and a valuable property; you could
borrow on the strength of your expectations. Now, what Crestwick told you
shows that the person who left him his money very wisely handed it to
trustees, with instructions to pay him only an allowance until he's
twenty-four. It's a somewhat similar case to the one I've instanced--he's
drawing on a capital he can't get possession of for two or three years,
and no doubt paying an extortionate interest. So far as I know, no
respectable bank or finance broker would handle that kind of business."

"But if the boy died before he succeeded to the property?"

"Batley could cover the risk by making Crestwick take out an insurance
policy in his favor."

Lisle's face grew stern, and Nasmyth lay smoking in silence for a while.
Then he broke out again:

"It's intolerable! George Gladwyne's successor abetting that fellow in
robbing the lad, luring him into wagers and reckless play with the result
that most of the borrowed money goes straight back into the hands of the
man who lent it!"

"Have you any suspicion that Gladwyne gets a share?"

"No," replied Nasmyth, with signs of strong uneasiness; "I can't believe
he benefits in that manner--if he did, I'd feel it my duty to denounce
him. Still, I expect he wins a little now and then, incidentally."

Again there was silence for a while, broken finally by Lisle.

"When I'd been here a week or two I began to see that my task wasn't
quite so simple as it had appeared--you can't attack a man situated as
Gladwyne is without hurting innocent people. Indeed, I've spent hours
wondering how, when the time comes, I can clear Vernon's memory, with the
least possible damage--that is my business, not the punishing of
Gladwyne, though he deserves no consideration. As you say, a man may make
a bad break and pull up again, but this one has had his chance and has
gone in deeper. What he's doing now--helping to ruin that lad in
cold-blood--is almost worse than the other offense."

Nasmyth made an acquiescent gesture.

"It's true; let it go at that. I don't see how the thing can be stopped.
There's a fish rising in the slack yonder!"

Lisle saw a silvery gleam in a strip of less-troubled water behind a
boulder and taking up his rod he cast the gaud