man of wealth pursuing this maiden who had scorned him. And
suddenly her image came upon his mind vivid and dominant, and for the
first time in his life Bindon realised something of the real power of
passion.

His imagination stood aside like a respectful footman who has done his
work in ushering in the emotion.

"My God!" cried Bindon: "I will have her! If I have to kill myself to
get her! And that other fellow--!"

After an interview with his medical man and a penance for his overnight
excesses in the form of bitter drugs, a mitigated but absolutely
resolute Bindon sought out Mwres. Mwres he found properly smashed, and
impoverished and humble, in a mood of frantic self-preservation, ready
to sell himself body and soul, much more any interest in a disobedient
daughter, to recover his lost position in the world. In the reasonable
discussion that followed, it was agreed that these misguided young
people should be left to sink into distress, or possibly even assisted
towards that improving discipline by Bindon's financial influence.

"And then?" said Mwres.

"They will come to the Labour Company," said Bindon. "They will wear the
blue canvas."

"And then?"

"She will divorce him," he said, and sat for a moment intent upon that
prospect. For in those days the austere limitations of divorce of
Victorian times were extraordinarily relaxed, and a couple might
separate on a hundred different scores.

Then suddenly Bindon astonished himself and Mwres by jumping to his
feet. "She _shall_ divorce him!" he cried. "I will have it so--I will
work it so. By God! it shall be so. He shall be disgraced, so that she
must. He shall be smashed and pulverised."

The idea of smashing and pulverising inflamed him further. He began a
Jovian pacing up and down the little office. "I will have her," he
cried. "I _will_ have her! Heaven and Hell shall not save her from me!"
His passion evaporated in its expression, and left him at the end
simply histrionic. He struck an attitude and ignored with heroic
determination a sharp twinge of pain about the diaphragm. And Mwres sat
with his pneumatic cap deflated and himself very visibly impressed.

And so, with a fair persistency, Bindon sat himself to the work of being
Elizabeth's malignant providence, using with ingenious dexterity every
particle of advantage wealth in those days gave a man over his
fellow-creatures. A resort to the consolations of religion hindered
these operations not at