"My friends," said Greusel gloomily, "we have arrived at a deadlock, and
I should not venture to speak but that I see no one else ready to make a
suggestion. I cannot claim to be non-partisan in the matter. This crisis
has been unnecessarily brought about by what I state firmly is a most
ungenerous attack on the part of Conrad Kurzbold."

There were murmurs of dissent, but Greusel proceeded stolidly, taking no
notice.

"It is not disputed that Kurzbold accepted the money from Roland last
night, spent it to-day, and now comes penniless amongst us, quite unable
to refund the amount when his unjust remarks produce their natural
effect. He is like a man who makes a wager knowing he hasn't the money
to pay should he lose. If Roland retires from this guild, I retire also,
ashamed to keep company with men who uphold a trick worthy of a ruined
gambler."

"My dear Joseph," cried Ebearhard, springing up with a laugh, "you were
misnamed in your infancy. You should have been called Herod, practically
justifying a slaughter of us innocents."

"I stand by Benjamin," growled Gruesel, "the youngest and most capable
of our circle; the one who produced the money while all the rest of us
talked."

"You never talked till now, Joseph," said Ebearhard, still trying to
ease the situation with a laugh, "and what you say is not only
deplorably severe, but uttered, as I will show you, upon entirely
mistaken grounds. We did not, and do not, support Conrad Kurzbold in
what he said at first. Now you rate us as if we were no better than