They gave it up, but not until the time allotted to them as visitors was nearly over. "Mr. Prull has all the facts. Let him do the worrying," quoth Dick, the philosopher. "Ernie will get off, dead sure. As for yours truly, I made my bed, so I guess I'll have to sleep in it. Joey, I'll have the laugh on you. You always said I was a crazy freak when I told you where I was going to end. Just you remember that, will you, when you read about me doing the groundless dance one of these fine days. My old man did it before me. He was seventeen minutes strangling, they say. Almost a record-breaking performance. To tell you the truth, Joey, I'd be downright disappointed if I should happen to cash in natural-like. It would be an awful jolt to my faith in Fate." "For the love of 'eaven, Dick, don't go on like that," groaned Joey. A cold perspiration was standing on his forehead. "You ought to 'ave some regard for my feelings." Dick laughed merrily. "There you go! Always thinkin' of yourself. I've always heard that Englishmen haven't got any feelings." "Well, they 'ave," was Joey's retort. "Say, David, what's the latest news from Brad?" He listened with great interest to David's brief recital. "Good for Brad!" he exclaimed. "I always said he'd come out clean if he had a chance. I say, Mrs. Brad's a brick. She'll bring him around, see if she don't. He ain't a natural crook, Brad ain't. He's got a conscience and he can't get away from that. No man's a real crook who has a conscience. I've got my own definition of the word 'conscience': a mental funeral with only one mourner. Say, kid, I guess I saved your father-in-law's neck when I plugged old Grand--" "Dick, don't breathe that, I implore you," cried David. "He had promised Mrs. Braddock that he'd go away. It can do no good to drag him into all this." "Well," said Dick reflectively, "I guess you'd better ask Mr. Prull about that. He knows all the facts." "I beg your pardon, Dick. I'm sorry I spoke so quickly." "It's all right, kid. No harm done. Don't worry. There won't be anything said about Brad's _original_ intentions. I hope Christine--I should say Mrs. Jenison--is well. I know she must be happy." "She is both, Dick. She is very deeply interested in your case." "I hope you won't let her send me roses and sweet violets, kid. That's an awful gag they're workin' now. There's a fellow down the line here that cut his wife's head nearly off in two places--on both sides of the neck--and he's getting pink roses and lilies of the valley by the cab-load." "Christine is sending books and fruit, and three times a week you are to have a dinner fit for a--" The sudden fierce glare in the prisoner's eyes caused David to stop in amazement. "Look here," demanded Dick savagely, "ain't poor Ernie to have any o' these things? Is he to set by and see me eat--what?" "You are to be treated alike, of course," cried David quickly. Dick's face cleared. He looked down in evident embarrassment.