"I have anticipated that question. I answer it fully and frankly. There is enough dynamite in that document to blow up half of Wall Street and land somebody in the White House." "And many in the morgue?" "And some in the penitentiary. I've watched your work the past nine years with genuine pride, Jim. You've said a lot of hard things about rich malefactors, but you've never touched me." "No, I think you're too shrewd to be caught in that class, Cal." "I pride myself that I am. It's only the clumsy fool who gets tangled in the criminal law. But a lot of them have done it--big fellows whose names fill the world with noise. I've taken the pains to put into that type-written document the names, the dates, the places, the deeds, the names of the witnesses and all the essential facts. Do what you please with it. If you do what I think you will, some men who are wearing purple and fine linen will be wearing stripes before another year and you will be the biggest man in New York." "And your motive?" "Does it matter?" "It vitally affects the credibility of this story." "You must know my motive?" "I prefer to be sure of it before taking so important and daring an action as you suggest." Bivens rose and stood before his friend with his smooth hands folded behind his back. "You believe me, Jim, when I say that my pride in your career is genuine?" "I've never doubted it," was the quick answer. "Then two suggestions will be enough. Perhaps I wish to get even with some men who have done me a dirty trick or two, and perhaps, incidentally, in the excitement which will follow this exposure of fraud and crime, I may make an honest penny--is that enough?" "Quite." "And you'll make the attack at once?" Stuart glanced rapidly through the first page of the document and his eyes began to dance with excitement. "The only favour I ask," Bivens added, "is twenty-four hours' notice before you act." "I'll let you know." Stuart rose quickly, placed the document in his inside pocket and hurried home. CHAPTER IV EVERY MAN'S SHADOW The deeper the young lawyer probed into the mass of corruption Bivens had placed in his hands the more profound became his surprise. At first he was inclined to scout the whole story as an exaggeration invented in the fierce fight with financial foes. It was incredible! That men whose names were the synonyms of honesty and fair dealing, men entrusted with the management of companies whose assets represented the savings of millions of poor men, the sole defense of millions of helpless women and children--that these trusted leaders of the world were habitually prostituting their trusts for personal gain, staggered belief.