uired. You robbed him for the double purpose of making him a beggar,
and of breaking his heart, though one of you was his step-father, another
the step-father of the woman he loved better than his own life. It was
that which set Jack's nearest friend to be your Nemesis. Our troth had
just been plighted. It was like death to part us, but he who is my
husband said to me: 'There must be no scandal, if we can help it, but
this wrong must be righted. I must go to Africa, and if I can work out
the dear boy's deliverance, it must be done.' And I consented to it. He
moved secretly, but with the force and energy of his nature. He and the
friend who went with him have performed a great work. They have taken
what was unloaded upon Jack as worthless, and converted it into something
richer than a little kingdom. It seems, too, that in the blindness of
your avarice, you dared fate itself to make more money out of that wreck,
and now you are in the toils. Suppose my husband had done by you as you
have dealt with Jack, and you had him where you now are, what mercy would
you show him?"

They were silent. They had not even self-respect to sustain them.

Grace waited a moment, and then went on: "But he is of different
material. There is no malice in his nature. He cares nothing for the
triumph which comes through revenge.

"He knew when you dared to sell that stock short, told me of it, and
asked what would be right. I replied that I thought if you would restore
to Jack what he had been robbed of, with interest on the money to date,
it would be fair; and his answer was that to compel you to do that very
thing was what caused him to leave me and go to Africa.

"In that you can get an idea of him. He had money enough for himself and
Jack both; he had no desire for revenge, but he was determined that you
should be made to do justice to his friend, whom you had so greatly
wronged, and that, if possible, it should be done without any noise."

"Do you think he would settle that way?" asked Jenvie.

"He has no settlement to make," said Grace; "but I think he would
recommend Jack to settle that way."

"And where could we meet Jack?" asked Jenvie.

"I do not know," said Grace, "nor is it necessary. I think the broker
with whom you dealt in the stocks has authority to settle. That was a
little trap set for you. There is not a share of the stock that is not in
the company's office at this moment."

"I did not mean to rob Jack," said Hamlin.