The minister waved away this demonstration with a gesture of self-deprecation, and a smile that was almost as sweet as a woman’s lighted up his face, while he took from a drawer of his desk a small, flat key, familiar to Rollie because he had seen it before, and many others resembling it. "Here," said Hampstead, "is the key to my safe deposit box in the Amalgamated National vault. In that box is eleven hundred dollars. It is not my money, but was provided by a friend for use in a contingency which has not arisen. I feel at perfect liberty to use it for this emergency. As you will remember, there is already on file with the vault-room custodian my signed authorization for you to visit the box, because you have served as my messenger before. You will be able, therefore, to gain unquestioned access to it the minute the vaults are open, which as you know is nine o’clock. Take the envelope marked ’Wadham currency.’ In the meantime I will go to a friend or two, and within thirty minutes after the bank’s doors open, I will bring you another envelope containing thirty-one hundred dollars." Rollie listened as a condemned man upon a scaffold listens to the reading of his reprieve. "How can I thank you?" he croaked finally, clutching at the minister’s hand. "You don’t thank me," adjured Hampstead, towering and strong, while he gripped the pulseless palm of Burbeck. "Don’t thank me! Do your part; that’s all." Rollie clung to the strong hand uncertainly for a few seconds until he himself felt stronger, when his face seemed to lighten somewhat. "You have a wonderful way with you, Doctor Hampstead," he exclaimed. "You have put conscience into me this morning—and courage." "Both are important," smiled the minister. At this moment, Rollie, who was beginning to recover his presence of mind, did one of those innocent things which thereafter played so important a part in the tragical chain of complications which followed from this interview. The act itself was no more than to select from a small tray of rubber bands upon the study desk, the only red one which happened to be there, and to snap it with several twists about the neck of the vault-box key, remarking as he did so: "For ready identification. There are sometimes several of these keys in my possession at once." The minister nodded approvingly. "I suppose," he commented, "other people make use of you as a messenger to their boxes." "Half a dozen of the women have that habit," the young man observed. "Trusted!" exclaimed the minister impulsively, laying a cordial hand upon the young man’s shoulder. "You have been greatly trusted. It is a rare privilege, isn’t it?" Rollie nodded thoughtfully. "And these?" questioned Doctor Hampstead, motioning to where the diamond necklace curled, appearing to Rollie less like a serpent now and more like a strangler’s knot. "I’m afraid of them," said the young man with a shudder. "Couldn’t—couldn’t you take them back to her and tell the story?"