No！——don’tstarttalking，forgoodness’sake。“
TheywentoutintothedarknessofthegardenwiththetrunkstillbowingMr。Ledbetter’sshoulders。ThemanintheyachtingcostumewalkedinfrontwiththeGladstonebagandapistol；thencameMr。LedbetterlikeAtlas；Mr。Binghamfollowedwiththehat-box，coat，andrevolverasbefore。Thehousewasoneofthosethathavetheirgardensrightuptothecliff。Atthecliffwasasteepwoodenstairway，descendingtoabathingtentdimlyvisibleonthebeach。
Belowwasaboatpulledup，andasilentlittlemanwithablackfacestoodbesideit。“Afewmoments’explanation，“saidMr。Ledbetter；
“Icanassureyou——“Somebodykickedhim，andhesaidnomore。
Theymadehimwadetotheboat，carryingthetrunk，theypulledhimaboardbytheshouldersandhair，theycalledhimnobetternamethan“scoundrel“and“burglar“allthatnight。Buttheyspokeinundertonessothatthegeneralpublicwashappilyunawareofhisignominy。Theyhauledhimaboardayachtmannedbystrange，unsympatheticOrientals，andpartlytheythrusthimandpartlyhefelldownagangwayintoanoisome，darkplace，wherehewastoremainmanydays——howmanyhedoesnotknow，becausehelostcountamongotherthingswhenhewasseasick。Theyfedhimonbiscuitsandincomprehensiblewords；theygavehimwatertodrinkmixedwithunwished-forrum。Andtherewerecockroacheswheretheyputhim，nightanddaytherewerecockroaches，andinthenight-timetherewererats。TheOrientalsemptiedhispocketsandtookhiswatch——
butMr。Bingham，beingappealedto，tookthathimself。AndfiveorsixtimesthefiveLascars——iftheywereLascars——andtheChinamanandthenegrowhoconstitutedthecrew，fishedhimoutandtookhimafttoBinghamandhisfriendtoplaycribbageandeuchreandthree-
andedwhist，andtolistentotheirstoriesandboastingsinaninterestedmanner。
Thentheseprincipalswouldtalktohimasmentalktothosewhohavelivedalifeofcrime。Explanationstheywouldneverpermit，thoughtheymadeitabundantlycleartohimthathewastherummiestburglartheyhadeverseteyeson。Theysaidasmuchagainandagain。
Thefairmanwasofataciturndispositionandirascibleatplay；
butMr。Bingham，nowthattheevidentanxietyofhisdeparturefromEnglandwasassuaged，displayedaveinofgenialphilosophy。
Heenlargeduponthemysteryofspaceandtime，andquotedKantandHegel——or，atleast，hesaidhedid。SeveraltimesMr。Ledbettergotasfaras:“Mypositionunderyourbed，youknow——，“butthenhealwayshadtocut，orpassthewhisky，ordosomesuchinterveningthing。Afterhisthirdfailure，thefairmangotquitetolookforthisopening，andwheneverMr。Ledbetterbeganafterthat，hewouldroarwithlaughterandhithimviolentlyontheback。“Sameoldstart，sameoldstory；goodoldburglar！“thefair-hairedmanwouldsay。
SoMr。Ledbettersufferedformanydays，twentyperhaps；andoneeveninghewastaken，togetherwithsometinnedprovisions，overthesideandputashoreonarockylittleislandwithaspring。
Mr。Binghamcameintheboatwithhim，givinghimgoodadvicealltheway，andwavinghislastattemptsatanexplanationaside。
“IamreallyNOTaburglar，“saidMr。Ledbetter。
“Youneverwillbe，“saidMr。Bingham。“You’llnevermakeaburglar。
I’mgladyouarebeginningtoseeit。Inchoosingaprofessionamanmuststudyhistemperament。Ifyoudon’t，soonerorlateryouwillfail。Comparemyself，forexample。AllmylifeIhavebeeninbanks——Ihavegotoninbanks。Ihaveevenbeenabankmanager。ButwasIhappy？No。Whywasn’tIhappy？Becauseitdidnotsuitmytemperament。Iamtooadventurous——tooversatile。
PracticallyIhavethrownitover。IdonotsupposeIshallevermanageabankagain。Theywouldbegladtogetme，nodoubt；
butIhavelearntthelessonofmytemperament——atlast……
No！Ishallnevermanageabankagain。
“Now，yourtemperamentunfitsyouforcrime——justasmineunfitsmeforrespectability。IknowyoubetterthanIdid，andnowIdonotevenrecommendforgery。Gobacktorespectablecourses，myman。
YOURlayisthephilanthropiclay——thatisyourlay。Withthatvoice——
theAssociationforthePromotionofSnivellingamongtheYoung——
somethinginthatline。Youthinkitover。
“Theislandweareapproachinghasnonameapparently——atleast，thereisnoneonthechart。Youmightthinkoutanameforitwhileyouarethere——whileyouarethinkingaboutallthesethings。Ithasquitedrinkablewater，Iunderstand。ItisoneoftheGrenadines——
oneoftheWindwardIslands。Yonder，dimandblue，areothersoftheGrenadines。TherearequantitiesofGrenadines，butthemajorityareoutofsight。Ihaveoftenwonderedwhattheseislandsarefor——now，yousee，Iamwiser。Thisoneatleastisforyou。Soonerorlatersomesimplenativewillcomealongandtakeyouoff。
Saywhatyoulikeaboutusthen——abuseus，ifyoulike——weshan’tcareasolitaryGrenadine！Andhere——hereishalfasovereign’sworthofsilver。Donotwastethatinfoolishdissipationwhenyoureturntocivilisation。Properlyused，itmaygiveyouafreshstartinlife。Anddonot——Don’tbeachher，youbeggars，hecanwade！——Donotwastetheprecioussolitudebeforeyouinfoolishthoughts。Properlyused，itmaybeaturning-pointinyourcareer。
Wasteneithermoneynortime。Youwilldierich。I’msorry，butImustaskyoutocarryyourtuckertolandinyourarms。No；it’snotdeep。Cursethatexplanationofyours！There’snottime。
No，no，no！Iwon’tlisten。Overboardyougo！“
AndthefallingnightfoundMr。Ledbetter——theMr。Ledbetterwhohadcomplainedthatadventurewasdead——sittingbesidehiscansoffood，hischinrestinguponhisdrawn-upknees，staringthroughhisglassesindismalmildnessovertheshining，vacantsea。
HewaspickedupinthecourseofthreedaysbyanegrofishermanandtakentoSt。Vincent’s，andfromSt。Vincent’shegot，bytheexpenditureofhislastcoins，toKingston，inJamaica。Andtherehemighthavefoundered。Evennowadaysheisnotamanofaffairs，andthenhewasasingularlyhelplessperson。Hehadnottheremotestideawhatheoughttodo。Theonlythingheseemstohavedonewastovisitalltheministersofreligionhecouldfindintheplacetoborrowapassagehome。Buthewasmuchtoodirtyandincoherent——
andhisstoryfartooincredibleforthem。Imethimquitebychance。
Itwascloseuponsunset，andIwaswalkingoutaftermysiestaontheroadtoDunn’sBattery，whenImethim——Iwasratherbored，andwithawholeeveningonmyhands——luckilyforhim。Hewastrudgingdismallytowardsthetown。Hiswoebegonefaceandthequasi-clericalcutofhisdust-stained，filthycostumecaughtmyhumour。Oureyesmet。
Hehesitated。“Sir，“hesaid，withacatchingofthebreath，“couldyouspareafewminutesforwhatIfearwillseemanincrediblestory？“
“Incredible！“Isaid。
“Quite，“heansweredeagerly。“Noonewillbelieveit，alteritthoughImay。YetIcanassureyou，sir——“
Hestoppedhopelessly。Theman’stonetickledme。Heseemedanoddcharacter。“Iam，“hesaid，“oneofthemostunfortunatebeingsalive。“
“Amongotherthings，youhaven’tdined？“Isaid，struckwithanidea。
“Ihavenot，“hesaidsolemnly，“formanydays。“
“You’lltellitbetterafterthat，“Isaid；andwithoutmoreadoledthewaytoalowplaceIknew，wheresuchacostumeashiswasunlikelytogiveoffence。Andthere——withcertainomissionswhichhesubsequentlysupplied——Igothisstory。AtfirstIwasincredulous，butasthewinewarmedhim，andthefaintsuggestionofcringingwhichhismisfortuneshadaddedtohismannerdisappeared，Ibegantobelieve。Atlast，IwassofarconvincedofhissinceritythatIgothimabedforthenight，andnextdayverifiedthebanker’sreferencehegavemethroughmyJamaicabanker。Andthatdone，Itookhimshoppingforunderwearandsuchlikeequipmentsofagentlemanatlarge。Presentlycametheverifiedreference。Hisastonishingstorywastrue。Iwillnotamplifyoursubsequentproceedings。
HestartedforEnglandinthreedays’time。
“IdonotknowhowIcanpossiblythankyouenough，“begantheletterhewrotemefromEngland，“forallyourkindnesstoatotalstranger，“
andproceededforsometimeinasimilarstrain。“Haditnotbeenforyourgenerousassistance，Icouldcertainlyneverhavereturnedintimefortheresumptionofmyscholasticduties，andmyfewminutesofrecklessfollywould，perhaps，haveprovedmyruin。
Asitis，Iamentangledinatissueofliesandevasions，ofthemostcomplicatedsort，toaccountformysunburntappearanceandmywhereabouts。Ihaverathercarelesslytoldtwoorthreedifferentstories，notrealisingthetroublethiswouldmeanformeintheend。
ThetruthIdarenottell。Ihaveconsultedanumberoflaw-booksintheBritishMuseum，andthereisnottheslightestdoubtthatIhaveconnivedatandabettedandaidedafelony。ThatscoundrelBinghamwastheHithergatebankmanager，Ifind，andguiltyofthemostflagrantembezzlement。Please，pleaseburnthisletterwhenread——Itrustyouimplicitly。Theworstofitis，neithermyauntnorherfriendwhokepttheboarding-houseatwhichIwasstayingseemaltogethertobelieveaguardedstatementIhavemadethempracticallyofwhatactuallyhappened。Theysuspectmeofsomediscreditableadventure，butwhatsortofdiscreditableadventuretheysuspectmeof，Idonotknow。MyauntsaysshewouldforgivemeifItoldhereverything。Ihave——IhavetoldherMOREthaneverything，andstillsheisnotsatisfied。Itwouldneverdotoletthemknowthetruthofthecase，ofcourse，andsoIrepresentmyselfashavingbeenwaylaidandgaggeduponthebeach。MyauntwantstoknowWHYtheywaylaidandgaggedme，whytheytookmeawayintheiryacht。
Idonotknow。Canyousuggestanyreason？Icanthinkofnothing。
