This is a story by Anton Chekhov in which a middle-aged banker and a young lawyer join a discussion at a dinner party about capital punishment versus life imprisonment. The banker thinks the death penalty is more humane because it kills a man at once; whereas life imprisonment kills slowly. The lawyer disagrees. If he had to make a choice, he would choose life imprisonment. "To live anyhow is better than not at all." The banker, who is rich, challenges him. "I'll bet you five million you wouldn't stay in solitary confinement for five years." "Make that 50 million and you have a bet," replies the lawyer, who is not rich. "If you're going to up the ante," says the banker, "so will I. My 50 million against your 15 years." "It's a bet," agrees the lawyer. There are two prisoners in this story, and both are held captive by the same jailer - the love of money.
