smoke, "that Durnovo knew what was the matter?"

"I am afraid that I have not the slightest doubt of it," replied Jack
lightly.

"And bolted?" suggested Oscard.

"And bolted."

Guy Oscard gave a contemptuous little laugh, which had a deeper insult
in it than he could have put into words.

"And what is to be done?" he inquired.

"Nothing. People in books would mount on a very high pinnacle of
virtue and cast off Mr. Durnovo and all his works; but it is much
more practical to make what use we can of him. That is a worldly-wise,
nineteenth-century way of looking at it; we cannot do without him."

The contemplativeness of nicotine was upon Guy Oscard.

"Umph!" he grunted. "It is rather disgusting," he said, after a pause;
"I hate dealing with cowards."

"And I with fools. For everyday use, give me a coward by preference."

"Yes, there is something in that. Still, I'd throw up the whole thing
if--"

"So would I," said Jack, turning sharply in his chair, "if--"

Oscard laughed curtly and waited.

"If," continued Jack, "I could. But I am more or less bound to go on
now. Such chances as this do not turn up every day; I cannot afford to
let it go by. Truth is, I told--some one who shall be nameless--that
I would make money to keep her in that state of life wherein her
godfathers, etc., have placed her; and make that money I must."

"That is about my position too," said Guy Oscard, somewhat indistinctly,
owing to the fact that he habitually smoked a thick-stemmed pipe.

"Is it? I'm glad of that. It gives us something in common to work for."

"Yes." Guy paused, and made a huge effort, finally conquering that
taciturnity which was almost an affliction to him. "The reason I gave
the other night to you and that chap Durnovo was honest enough, but I
have another. I want to lie low for a few months, but I also want to
make money. I'm as good as engaged to be married, and I find that I am
not so well off as I thought I was. People told me that I should have
three thousand a year when the governor died, but I find that people
know less of my affairs than I thought."

"They invariably do," put in Jack encouragingly.

"It is barely two thousand, and--and she has been brought up to
something better than that."

"Um! they mostly are. Mine has been brought up to something better than
that too. That is the worst of it."

Jack Meredith leant back in his folding chair, and gazed practically up
into the heavens.

"Of co