attorney without hesitation or reservation-like an open book, to be read and understood in every detail, and the more ignorant and inexperienced the client the greater the necessity. From these conditions it inevitably follows that the attorney will often have opportunities to take unconscionable advantage of the ignorance or necessities of his client. The law has always been keenly solicitous to forestall any such result, and this alike for the protection of the financial interests of clients and the high standard of the legal profession. It does not wait for fraud or deceit to be alleged and proven. It simply looks at the transaction, and, if the circumstances be such that the confidence of the client may be abused, or a temptation held out to the attorney to be unfaithful to his trust, it places the stamp of prohibition upon that transaction. "Such transactions are not held to be void upon the ground of intentional fraud or proven bad faith, but because the relations of the parties are such that the one may make use of his position of power and influence over the other, or of his superior knowledge derived while in the employment of the other, to take an unfair advantage of him. The law, upon grounds of high public policy, seeks to destroy the temptation to abuse such opportunities, and therefore does not inquire whether the transaction was fraudulent or not." Rogers v. Marshall, 13 Fed. Bep. 61. "Where fidelity is required, the law prohibits everything which presents a temptation to betray the trust. The orison which deprecates temptation is the offspring of infinite wisdom, and the rule of law in accordance with it rests upon most substantial foundations." Henry v. Raiman, 25 Pa. St. 359. Among the transactions thus prohibited are those by which an attorney, while acting as such, obtains any title to or interest in the subject-matter of the litigation which is antagonistic to the title or interest of his client. In the judgment of the writer of this opinion, such transactions are nugatory, and wholly void, so far as they purport to transfer any beneficial title or interest to the attorney. If he takes anything, he takes it in trust for his client, and it at once inures to the benefit of his client. See, on this point, Cunningham v. Jones, 37 Kan. 477, 15 Pac. Rep. 572; Elliott v. Tyler, (Pa.) 6 Atl. Rep. 917; Zeigler v. Hughes,
