'"I will try again. He is still poor. He plays the fiddle at some wretched gardens I believe. He lives where he did before--I know where to find him. I will try again. If I succeed we could raise say £50,000 upon the succession, it should be more but you are both young. Let me see, that will be £40,000 for me; £6,000 interest due to me: that makes £46,000 for me and £4,000 for you." '"No, friend Probus. You have lent me £25,000. That you shall take and no more. If you are not content with that you shall have none. Remember that the money must be raised by me for my own use, not by you. Get him to sign if you can--and you shall have back all your money, but without any interest. If you think you are going to get all this money for yourself, let me tell you that you are mistaken." 'Mr. Matthew can be as hard as--as your father, sometimes. He was hard now. Well, the pair wrangled over these terms for a long time. At last it was arranged that if Mr. Probus can persuade you to sign the paper which he is to bring you he is to take £25,000 and interest on that and not on the alleged £40,000, at 15 per cent. And Mr. Matthew is to pay you the sum required to buy out. When they had completed this arrangement Mr. Probus started another line of discourse. Now listen to this, Mr. Will, because it concerns you very closely. '"If," he said, "your cousin were to die--actually to die----" '"He won't die. I wish he would." '"I said--If he were to die--you would then immediately take over £100,000 together with the interest at 5 per cent. already accumulated for three years, namely, about £115,000. That would put all square again. You could get back some of your ships and your credit." '"What's the use? Man, I have told you--my cousin is a selfish, unfeeling, obstinate Brute. He won't die." '"I said. If he were to die. That is what I said. If he were to die." 'Then there was silence for a space. '"Probus," said Mr. Matthew, "I believe you are a devil. Tell me what you mean. We can't make him die by wishing." '"I was only supposing: If he were to die--strange things have happened--would you be disposed to let me take the half of that money--say £55,000?" '"If he were to die," Mr. Matthew repeated. "Have you heard, by accident, that he is ill? Has he taken small-pox, or gaol fever? I did hear that was gaol fever in Newgate some time ago." '"No: on the contrary, I believe that he is in perfect health at present. Still, he might die. Anybody may die, you know." '"Why do you say that he may die?" '"I only put the case. Anybody may die. What do you say about my proposal?" '"You call it a proposal--Man--you look like a murderer--are you going to murder him?" '"Certainly not. Well--what do you say?" '"Well--if you are not going to murder him, what do you mean?" '"Men die of many complaints, besides murder. Some men get themselves into the clutches of the law----"'