"It's all up, Renie. I've done something--the worst thing I ever done in my life; but I didn't know while I was doing it, Renie, how--what it was. I swear I didn't! It was like borrowing, I thought. I was sure I could pay it back. I thought the system was a great one and--and I couldn't lose." "Izzy--roulette again! You--you been losing at--at roulette again?" "No, no; but they found out at--at the bank, Renie. I--oh, my God! Nothing won't save me!" "The bank, Izzy?" "They found out, Renie. Yesterday, when the bank was closed, he--Uncle Isadore--put 'em on the books. Nothing won't save me now, Renie. He won't; you--you know him--hard as nails! Nothing won't save me. It's going to be stripes for me, Renie. Ma--the old man--stripes! I--I can't let 'em do it. I--I'll kill myself first. I can't let 'em--I--can't--I can't let 'em!" He burrowed his head in her lap to stifle his voice, which slipped up and away from his control; and her icy hands and knees could feel his entire body trembling. "'Sh-h-h, dearie! Try to tell me slow, dearie, for pa's and ma's sake, so--so we can fix it up somehow." "We can't fix it up. The old man 'ain't got the money and--and he can't stand it." "For God's sake, Izzy, tell me or I'll go mad! Slow, dearie, so Renie can think and listen and help you. She's with you, darling, and nothing can hurt you. Now begin, Izzy, and go slow. What did you start to tell me about Uncle Isadore and the books? Slow, darling." Her voice was smooth and flowing, and the hand that stroked his hair was slow and soothing; the great stream of his passion abated and he huddled quietly at her feet. "Now begin, dearie. Uncle Isadore--what?" "This morning, when I got down to--to the office, two men had--my books." "Yes." "O God! When I seen 'em, right away my heart just stopped." '"Sh-h-h! Yes--two men had the books." "And Uncle Isadore--Uncle Isadore--he was--he--" "Go on!" "He--he was in the cage, too; and--and you know how he looks when his eyes get little." "Yes, yes, Izzy." "They were--expert accountants with him. All day yesterday, Sunday, they were on my books; and--and they had me, Renie--they had me like a rat in a trap." "Had you, Izzy?" He drew himself upward, clutching at her arms; and the sobs began to tear him afresh. "They had me, Renie." "Oh, Izzy, why--" "I could have paid it back. I could have put it back if the old skinflint hadn't got to sniffing round and sicked 'em on my books. I could have won it all back in time, Renie. With my own uncle, my own mother's brother, it--it wasn't like I was stealing it, was it, Renie? Was it?" "Oh, my God, Izzy!" "It wasn't, Renie--my own uncle! I could have won it back if--if--" "Won back what, Izzy--won back what?"