Blind Love - Page 244/304

"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."