one which Selwyn declined at once, comfortably enraging his
brother-in-law for nearly ten minutes.

"But what do I know about the investment of trust funds?" demanded
Selwyn; "you wouldn't take me if I were not your wife's brother--and
that's nepotism."

Austin's harmless fury raged for nearly ten minutes, after which he
cheered up, relighted his cigar, and resumed his discussion with Selwyn
concerning the merits of various boys' schools--the victim in
prospective being Billy.

A little later, reverting to the subject of his own enforced idleness,
Selwyn said: "I've been on the point of going to see Neergard--but
somehow I can't quite bring myself to it--slinking into his office as a
rank failure in one profession, to ask him if he has any use for me
again."

"Stuff and fancy!" growled Gerard; "it's all stuff and fancy about your
being any kind of a failure. If you want to resume with that Dutchman,
go to him and say so. If you want to invest anything in his Long Island
schemes he'll take you in fast enough. He took in Gerald and some twenty
thousand."

"Isn't he very prosperous, Austin?"

"Very--on paper. Long Island farm lands and mortgages on Hampton
hen-coops are not fragrant propositions to me. But there's always one
more way of making a living after you counted 'em all up on your
fingers. If you've any capital to offer Neergard, he won't shriek for