"What makes me pause here ?" For answer there came the strangest words: "Did you ever have ten thousand dollars in ready money ?" Lo, the manager remembered that he had never had so much.

All his property had been slowly accumulated, and now his wife owned that.

He was worth more than forty thousand, all told--but she would get that.
He puzzled as he thought of these things, then pushed in the drawers and closed the door, pausing with his hand upon the knob, which might so easily lock it all beyond temptation.

Still he paused.

Finally he went to the windows and pulled down the curtains.