"Yes. I must have money. I have some left--a very little. I must
have money; and, in order to get it, I must be dead."
"How will that help?"
"Why, my dear, I am insured, and my insurances will be paid after my
death; but not before."
"Oh! must you get money--even by a----" She hesitated.
"Call it a conspiracy, my dear, if you please. As there is no other way
whatever left, I must get money that way."
"Oh, this is dreadful! A conspiracy, Harry? a--a--fraud?"
"If you please. That is the name which lawyers give to it."
"But oh, Harry!--it is a crime. It is a thing for which men are tried
and found guilty and sentenced."
"Certainly; if they are found out. Meantime, it is only the poor,
ignorant, clumsy fool who gets found out. In the City these things are
done every day. Quite as a matter of course," he added carelessly. "It
is not usual for men to take their wives into confidence, but in this
case I must take you into confidence: I have no choice, as you will
understand directly."
"Tell me, Harry, who first thought of this way?"
"Vimpany, of course. Oh! give him the credit where real cleverness is
concerned. Vimpany suggested the thing. He found me well-nigh as
desperately hard up as he is himself. He suggested it. At first, I
confess, I did not like it. I refused to listen to any more talk about
it. But, you see, when one meets destitution face to face, one will do
anything--everything. Besides, as I will show you, this is not really a
fraud. It is only an anticipation of a few years. However, there was
another reason."
"Was it to find the money to meet the promissory note?"
"My dear, you may forget--you may resolve never to throw the thing in
my teeth; but my love for you will never suffer me to forget that I
have lost your little fortune in a doubtful speculation. It is all gone,
never to be recovered again; and this after I had sworn never to touch
a farthing of it. Iris!"--he started to his feet and walked about the
room as one who is agitated by emotion--"Iris! I could face
imprisonment for debt, I could submit to pecuniary ruin, for that
matter; the loss of money would not cause me the least trouble, but I
cannot endure to have ruined you."