A First Night— I —
“What does Shepherd say?”
“Well, he doesn’t say, right out, so much as he implies.”
I opened Shepherd’s letter, and glanced through it again.
“It is easy to see that he thinks Ruthven is in a bad way.”
“Then I shall at once get someone to take his part.”
“He says that the mere thought of such a thing would be sufficient to send Ruthven headlong into his grave.”
Trotter became excited.
“Then do you mean to tell me that I’ve only a choice between murder and suicide?”
“Shepherd puts it that Ruthven has been waiting and working all his life for such a chance, and that if now he only gets it to lose it the man will break his heart and die.”
Trotter threw himself into a chair.
“Ince, you’ll drive me mad! I consider that I’ve been badly used all through. When, at you
