"I told Lady Musselburgh I had gone over to the other side, this time for good," said he. "We are in opposite camps now. We have been so all along—but not openly. This piece of treachery has been too much for me: we are better apart: I could not sit down at table with people who had acted like that—whatever their motives were. But you, Musselburgh, you were not concerned in that wretched piece of scheming; and as I tell you, you can do me the greatest possible service. Will you do it? Or will you rather cast in your lot with them?" "Oh, well," said Musselburgh, rather disappointedly, "I don’t see why I should be compelled to take sides. I want to do my best for everybody concerned. I’ve just come into the family, as you might say; and it seems a pity there should be any quarrel or break up. I had a kind of notion that we should all of us—but particularly my wife and myself and you and—and—your wife—I thought our little party of four might have a very pleasant time together, both at home and abroad. My wife and I have often talked of it, and amused ourselves with sketching out plans. Seems such a pity——" "Yes," said Vincent, abruptly, "but there are other things in life besides going to Monte Carlo and staking five-franc pieces." "What is this that you want me to do?" his friend asked next—seeing that those inducements did not avail. "Well," said Vincent, "I suppose you know that Lady Musselburgh showed me this morning the receipt Mr. Bethune gave George Morris for the £5,000. It was a simple receipt: nothing more. But everybody knows George Morris is not the man to part with money unconditionally; there must have been arrangements and pledges; and I want to discover what Mr. Bethune undertook to do, where he undertook to go. Morris won’t tell me, that is certain enough: but he would probably tell you." Lord Musselburgh hesitated. "Why," said he, "you know why that money was paid. It was paid for the express purpose of getting them away—so that you should not know where they are——" "Precisely so," said Vincent. "And you would therefore be undoing a part of the wrong that has been done them, by your wife and my father." "Oh, I don’t call it doing a wrong to a man to give him £5,000," said Lord Musselburgh, with a touch of resentment. "He needn’t have taken the money unless he liked." "Do you know what representations were made to him to induce him to take it?" Vincent said. "Well, I don’t," was the reply. "They settled all that amongst themselves; and I was merely made acquainted with the results. It would hardly have been my place to interfere, you see; it was before my marriage, remember; in any case, I don’t know that I should have wanted to have any say in the matter. However, the actual outcome we all of us know; and you must confess, Vin, whatever persuasions were used, it looks a rather shady transaction." "Yes—on the part of those who induced him to accept the bribe!" Vincent said, boldly.