"Embezzlement, sir,” commented Mr. Carlyle icily. “But what is embezzlement on the top of wholesale murder!"
"That is what it is called. In my case, however, it was only to be temporary. Unfortunately, the rise continued. Then, at the height of my despair, I chanced to be returning to Swanstead rather earlier than usual one evening, and the train was stopped at a certain signal to let another pass. There was conversation in the carriage and I learned certain details. One said that there would be an accident some day, and so forth. In a flash—as by an inspiration—I saw how the circumstance might be turned to account. A bad accident and the shares would certainly fall and my position would be retrieved. I think Mr. Carrados has somehow learned the rest."
"Max,” said Mr. Carlyle, with emotion, “is there any reason why you should not send your man for a police officer and have this monster arrested on his own confession without further delay?"
"Pray do so, Mr. Carrados,” acquiesced Drishna. “I shall certainly be hanged, but the speech I shall prepare will ring from one end of India to the other; my memory will be venerated as that of a martyr; and the emancipation of my motherland will be hastened by my sacrifice."
"In other words,” commented Carrados, “there will be disturbances at half-a-dozen disaffected places, a few unfortunate police will be clubbed to death, and possibly worse things may happen. That does not suit us, Mr. Drishna."
"And how do you propose to prevent it?” asked Drishna, with cool assurance.
"It is very unpleasant being hanged on a dark winter morning; very cold, very friendless, very inhuman. The long trial, the solitude and the confinement, the thoughts of the long sleepless night before, the hangman and the pinioning and the noosing of the rope are apt to prey on the imagination. Only a very stupid man can take hanging easily."
"What do you want me to do instead, Mr. Carrados?” asked Drishna shrewdly.
Carrados's hand closed on the weapon that still lay on the table between them. Without a word he pushed it across.
"I see,” commented Drishna, with a short laugh and a gleaming eye. “Shoot myself and hush it up to suit your purpose. Withhold my message to save the exposures of a trial, and keep the flame from the torch of insurrectionary freedom."
"Also,” interposed Carrados mildly, “to save your worthy people a good deal of shame, and to save the lady who is nameless the unpleasant necessity of relinquishing the house and the income which you have just settled on her. She certainly would not then venerate your memory."
"What is that?"
"The transaction which you carried through was based on a felony and could not be upheld. The firm you dealt with will go to the courts, and the money, being directly traceable, will be held forfeit as no good consideration passed."
"Max!” cried Mr. Carlyle hotly, “you are not going to let this scoundrel cheat the gallows after all?"
"The best use you can make of the gallows is to cheat it, Louis,” replied Carrados. “Have you ever reflected what human beings will think of us a hundred years hence?"
"Oh, of course I'm not really in favour of hanging,” admitted Mr. Carlyle.
"Nobody really is. But we go on hanging. Mr. Drishna is a dangerous animal who for the sake of pacific animals must cease to exist. Let his barbarous exploits pass into oblivion with him. The disadvantages of spreading it broadcast immeasurably outweigh the benefits."
"I have considered,” announced Drishna. “I will do as you wish."
"Very well,” said Carrados. “Here is some plain notepaper. You had better write a letter to someone saying that the financial difficulties in which you are involved make life unbearable."
"But there are no financial difficulties—now."
"That does not matter in the least. It will be put down to an hallucination and taken as showing the state of your mind."
"But what guarantee have we that he will not escape?” whispered Mr. Carlyle.
"He cannot escape,” replied Carrados tranquilly. “His identity is too clear."
"I have no intention of trying to escape,” put in Drishna, as he wrote. “You hardly imagine that I have not considered this eventuality, do you?"
"All the same,” murmured the ex-lawyer, “I should like to have a jury behind me. It is one thing to execute a man morally; it is another to do it almost literally."
"Is that all right?” asked Drishna, passing across the letter he had written.
Carrados smiled at this tribute to his perception.
"Quite excellent,” he replied courteously. “There is a train at nine-forty. Will that suit you?"
Drishna nodded and stood up. Mr. Carlyle had a very uneasy feeling that he ought to do something but could not suggest to himself what.
The next moment he heard his friend heartily thanking the visitor for the assistance he had been in the matter of the Indo-Scythian inscription, as they walked across the hall together. Then a door closed.
"I believe that there is something positively uncanny about Max at times,” murmured the perturbed gentleman to himself.
Copyright (c) 1914 From Max Carrados
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