The Swindler and Other Stories

o leave. With a flushed face and sparkling eyes she made her farewells, and even B

ts, he dropped into the local bank to change a cheque. The manager, with wh

o send you notice of an overdraft. That last

ht before deposited a large sum of money at the b

tand," he said.

looked at

r agent presented yesterday," he said. "It bore your signatu

lankly, but at the sudden ques

ave him a blank cheque for the Millsand estate

e suddenly cold with doubt. He knew full well that the exp

er a few commonplaces, feeling as if he had

ecovered somewhat from the shock. There mus

and descended. West was not in and he dec

he man coming up the path. He moved slowly

, Babbacombe opened the inn

have a word wit

before shutting the door

" he said. "I

appling with the hardest task he had ever had t

se effort, Ba

. I was told that my account was overdrawn. I can't

as beginning to fail, but his expressionless face was

you cashed a cheque of mine yesterday for

said We

nderstood from you that the Millsand

s," sa

d fifty pounds-where did it come from, West?" Th

nd. It was a gesture openly contem

callous question. "You ref

y answer,"

great heavens, man"-Babbacombe's amazement burst forth irresistibly-"it's incredible! Are you mad, I

gged his

-only a little o

wer of icy water. Babbaco

did this thing in cold blood-that

meant to do i

said Ba

here was almost a fiendish look in his eyes, as i

," Babbacomb

I tell you

an instant; then gravel

tween us. I had not the faintest idea that you w

or the first time his hard stare

utset what to expect. I am a swindler to the backbone. The sooner you bund

prosecute," B

I won't have any more of your damned charity! I'll go down into my own limbo and stay there, without let or hindrance from you or any other man. If you

o prosecute?"

d

titude. His eyes shone in the gathering dusk like the eyes of a crouching b

t fathom, that baffled him, however he sought to approach it. In days gone by he had wondered if the fellow had a heart. That wonder was still in his mind. He himself

to say to you, West

nything?"

t. But this-this was bound to be discovered sooner or later. You must have known that. Then why, why in heaven's name did you do it? Apart from every other consideration, it was so infernally foolish. It wasn't like you to do a thing like that." He paused, then sudden

ew back

u have never been honest with me from the very outs

desperate odds, and guarding some precious possession while he fought. But these words

you mean

, and you know it. You have never been absolutely straight in your dealings with me. I knew you weren't. I always knew it. But how crooked you were I did not know till lately. If you had been any other man, I believe I should have given you a

king me suffer?" Babbacombe sugges

satisfies you," said

he steady rejoinder. "It satisfies me so little that I insis

less and silent, as t

ich very few had ever seen there. At last,

eason for giving you a fresh start in life,

the words over his shoulder as thou

at you know what that rea

rry asked me to bring back into her life some worthless scamp to whom she had taken a sentimental fancy when she was scarcely out of the schoolroom,

t quite hit the truth of the matter. Since you have guessed so much you had better know the whole. I did not do this thing by request. I unde

uptly, "you've told me the truth. I will do the same to you. This business has got to end. I have done my part towards br

bbacombe s

ad gone out of his eyes-they wer

hat. There must be an end-a painless end if possible, without regrets. She has got to realise that I'm a swindl

steely eyes, no feeling of any sort. They looked full a

he truth, but he had never even dimly imagined this. It struck him dumb-this sudden gl

e said at last; "bu

y man has his mania. This is mine, and it is a ve

e you thought of her?"

quietly. "And I am asking you to do the sam

very soon he stopped in front of West, and spoke with grave resolution. "Look here," he said, "I think you know that her happiness is more to me than anything else in the w

ed as a mask; his

ange all th

be shook

en sure that

that the woman you love should marry an ex

firmly, "that she ought to be

y. You won't move me from that if you argue till Doomsday. So, in heaven's name, take what the gods offer, and leave me alone. Marry her. Give her all a goo

the fire, and drove the

you are not looking, who won't call you a fool when you make mistakes-in short, a gentleman. There are plenty of them

dler had made his decision, and he realised that no effort of his would alter it. To attempt to do so would be to beat agai

the argument, and prepa

his memory. Their bitterness seemed to cloak something upon which no eye had