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166 nothing.… I was self-centred to the last shameless degree … my selfishness was disgusting.

They came to the end of their breath about the same time; then I took up the tale. "I like your cheek," I said sternly. "Your labor indeed! It was I and my sister who had the labor and anxiety for nothing! We perfected the scheme, and we labored at it. While you were taking your inglorious eases at the bridge table, she and I were sweating beneath the burden of Sir Reginald's conversation—we bore the brunt of his anecdotes. All we left to you was two simple details of the scheme, the bequest of £5,000 to my Children's Hospital, and the mere trivial detail of the actual removal. You bungled the scheme. You let Sir Reginald leave the £5,000 to the Mission to the Patagonians."

"Oh, damn the Patagonians!" said Bottiger; and with that they took their leave in cold furies.

For three days we saw nothing of them. I began to fear that they were engaged in removing Sir Reginald on their own account. My distrust of Chelubai's keen enthusiasm and Bottiger's bull-dog tenacity occasioned me grave anxiety lest they should be betrayed by them into some rash removal and be discovered. Then I learned with relief that Sir Reginald was confined to his bed with a severe attack of gout, the result doubtless