Let me begin by explaining that I have set myself the task of telling this story for two sufficient reasons. The first, because I consider that it presents as good a warning to a young fellow as he could anywhere find, against allowing himself to be deluded by a false hatred into committing a sin that at any other time he would consider in every way contemptible and cowardly; and the second because i think it just possible that it may serve to set others on their guard, against one of the most unscrupulous men, if man he is – of which I begin to have my doubts – who ever wore shoe leather.