The other whistled, and then chuckled as was his good-humored wont. "That's a good round sum," he answered. "I know that a deuced sight better than you do," Neligage returned. "I've had more experience in wanting money. I'm in a hole, and I ask you to help me out of it. Of course I'm taking a deal of advantage of your good nature yesterday; and you may do as you like about letting me have the money. All the security I can give is to turn over to you the income of the few stocks I have. They 're all in the hands of trustees. My father left'em so." "Gad, he knew his son," was the characteristic comment. "You are right. He did. Can you let me have the money?" The other considered a moment, and then said with his usual bluntness:-- "I suppose it's none of my business what you want of it?" Jack flushed. "It may be your business, Wilson, but I can't tell you." The other laughed. "Oh, well," he said, "if you've been so big a fool that you can't bear to tell of it, I'm not going to insist. I can't do anything better than to send you a check to-morrow. I haven't that amount in the bank." Jack held out his hand. "You're a trump, Wilson," he said. "I'd tell you the whole thing if it was my secret, but it isn't. Of course if you lose anything by moving the money, I'll be responsible for it. Besides that I want you to buy Starbright, if you care for him. Of course if you don't I can sell him easily enough. He's the best of the ponies." "Then you're going to sell?" "Clean out the whole thing; pay my debts, and leave the club." "Oh, you mustn't do that." "I'm going into a bank, and of course I shan't have any time to play." Wilson regarded him with an amused and curious smile, playing with his fork meanwhile. Wilson was not by birth of Jack's world, having come into social position in Boston by his marriage with Elsie Dimmont, the richest young woman of the town. He and Jack had never been especially intimate, but Jack had always maintained that despite traces of coarseness in manner Wilson was sound at heart and essentially a good fellow. Perhaps the fact that in times past Neligage had not used his opportunities to patronize Wilson had something to do with the absence of anything patronizing in the Doctor's manner now. "Well," Wilson said at length, "don't do anything rash. Your dues for the whole year are paid,--or will be when you square up, and you might as well get the worth of them. We need you on the team, so you mustn't go back on us if you can help it." Matters being satisfactorily arranged both in relation to the loan and to the sale of the pony, Jack left Wilson, and departed in search of Count Shimbowski. Him he ultimately found at another club, and at once asked to speak with him alone on business. "Count," he began when they were in one of the card-rooms, "I want to add a word to what I said to you yesterday." "Each one word of Mr. Neleegaze eet ees treasured," the Count responded with a polite flourish of his cigarette.