'When do you want it--not to-night, I suppose ?' 'No--not to-night--I should like to have it early to-morrow morning; but I see you don't like it, so I'll manage it some other way.' 'I don't know what you mean by not liking it.

I have not the slightest objection to lending you any money I can spare.

I don't think you'll find any other of your friends who will like it better.

You can have it by eleven o'clock to-morrow.' Intimate as the two men were, there had hitherto been very little borrowing or lending between them; and now Alaric felt as though he owed it to his intimacy with his friend to explain to him why he wanted so large a sum in so short a time.

He felt, moreover, that he would not himself be so much ashamed of what he had done if he could confess it to some one else.