there is no getting to the bottom of him, with his wily brain.
On the whole Beatrice shall be allowed to go. It's a horrible position
for a girl like her; but at the present moment I have no choice--perhaps
I'll join the party later on. Hang those newsboys, too--why can't they
stop their silly clatter?"

The intruder replaced the letter, and a moment later Beatrice came in.
She started at the sight of the stranger, who made some apology for the
intrusion. The man looked old and respectable and harmless, so that the
girl smiled at him. But she did not smile when the shovel hat was
removed, together with the wig and the glasses.

"Stephen!" Beatrice gasped. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Well, I can conclude that my disguise is a pretty good one," Richford
grinned, "seeing that you did not recognize me at all. And as to what
this means, I should say that your own common sense would tell you. Did
you hear anything?"

"I heard the boys with the papers," Beatrice said; "but I did not
connect ... do you mean to say that you are, you are----"

Beatrice could not say the word. But there was no reason for her to ask
the question.

"Why be so delicate about it in the presence of a mere husband?"
Richford sneered. "Do you suppose I came here in disguise just to give
you a pleasant surprise? The bubble has been pricked, and all the rest
of it. I went for too much, and I failed, as many a better man has
failed before me. I have Carl Sartoris to thank for this; I should have
pulled through but for him. This is his revenge because I would not do
as he desired. Whatever you do, beware of that man! Don't go near him
under any circumstances."

"I am not likely to go near him," Beatrice said coldly; "but tell me,
why did you come here? It is not possible that I can help you in any
way!"

"Oh, yes it is," Richford said, with a certain good humour that caused
Beatrice to turn suspicious at once. "You can do a great deal for me if
you only will. I am going to leave you a desolate and disconsolate
widow. A grass widow, if you like; but you will have your freedom. I am
going to leave my country for my country's good; I shall never come back
again. But the crash has come at a time when I least expected it, which
is a habit that crashes have. I had barely time to procure this disguise
before the wolves were after me. They are hot on my track now, and I
have no time to spare. What I come for is money."

"Money! Surely you made a sor