"A young forger, then, if you prefer it, my dear fellow," said Jasper, with a cold laugh, "who ought to be punished, if anyone deserves punishment. Why, it is compounding a felony!" he added, virtuously. "Oh, come!" said the captain, with a troubled smile, "that's nonsense, you talking like that! I want the matter hushed up, Adelstone." "Well, though I don't agree with you, I won't argue the matter," said Jasper, "but I can't lend you the money to hush it up with, Halliday. If it were for yourself, now----" There was something in Jasper's cold face, in his compressed, almost sneering lips, and hard, keen eyes, that convinced the captain any further time expended in endeavoring to soften Jasper Adelstone's heart would be time wasted. "Never mind," he said, "I'm sorry I've taken up your time. Good-morning. Of course this is quite confidential, you know, eh?" Jasper raised his eyebrows and smiled pleasantly. "My dear Halliday, you are in a lawyer's office. Nothing that occurs within these walls gets out, unless the client wishes it. Your little story is as safely locked up in my bosom as if you had never told it. Good-morning." The captain put on his hat and turned to go, but at that moment the door opened and Scrivell entered. "I beg pardon," he said, and drew back, but paused, and, instead of going out, walked up to Jasper's desk, and laid a piece of paper on it. Jasper took it up eagerly. There was one line written on it, and it was this: "22 Percival street!" Jasper did not start; he did not even change color, but his lips tightened, and a gleam of eagerness shot from his eyes. With the paper in his hand, he looked up carelessly. "All right, Scrivell. Oh, by the way, just run after Captain Halliday, and tell him I should like another word with him." Scrivell disappeared, and in another minute the captain re-entered. He still looked rather downcast. "What is it?" he said, with his hand on the door. Jasper went and closed it; then he laughed in his quiet, noiseless way. "I'm afraid you'll think me a soft kind of lawyer, Halliday, but this story of yours has touched me; it has, indeed!" The captain nodded, and dropped into a chair. "I thought it had," he said, simply. "Touch anybody, wouldn't it?" "Yes, yes!" said Jasper, with a sigh. "It's very wrong, you know--altogether out of the line, but I suppose you've set your heart on hushing it up, eh?" "I have, indeed," said the captain, eagerly. "And if you knew all you'd say the same." "Haven't you told me all?" said Jasper, quietly. "I don't mean the boy's name; you can keep that if you like." "No, I don't mean to conceal anything, if you'll help me," said the captain ingenuously. "Of course if you had decided not to, I should have kept dark about his name." "Of course," said Jasper, with a smile; and he glanced at the slip of paper. "Well, perhaps you'd better tell me all, hadn't you?" "I think I had," assented the captain. "Well, the youngster's name is--Etheridge?"