. His ruin was complete. He
had trusted in riches. Gold was his god; and the idol had mocked him.

CHAPTER XXI.

Beyond what has already been written, there is not much, in the
histories of those whom we have introduced, to be told, except
briefly, worthy the reader's interested attention.

Martin, the old accomplice of Jasper, finding his power over that
individual gone, and failing in the card he played against Claire's
nice sense of honour and integrity of purpose, now turned, like an
ill-natured, hungry cur, and showed his teeth to the man through whose
advice he had so long been able to extort money from Jasper. He felt
the less compunction in so doing, from the fact that Grind, angry with
him for having been the agent of Jasper's final destruction, which
involved him in a severe loss, had expressed himself in no measured
terms--had, in fact, lashed him with most bitter and opprobrious
words.

Several times, during the progress of events briefly stated in the
concluding portions of the last chapter, Martin had, in his frequent
visits to the lawyer, hinted, more or less remotely, at his great need
of money. But to these intimations, Grind never gave the slightest
response. At last the man said boldly--

"Mr. Grind, you must help me to a little money." This was directly
after the failure of Jasper.

"I cannot do it," was the unequivocal reply. "You have, by your
miserable vindictiveness, ruined Jasper, after having subsisted on
him for years--base return for all you owe him--and, in doing so, half
destroyed me. You have killed the goose that laid the golden egg, and
there is no one but yourself to thank for this folly."

"You must help me, Mr. Grind," said Martin, his brows knitting,
and the muscles of his lips growing rigid. "You had a hand in that
business as well as Jasper; you took a big slice, if he did keep
the major part of the loaf; and so I have a right to ask some slight
return for important service rendered."

"What! This to me!" exclaimed Grind, roused to instant excitement.

"This to you," was the cool, deliberate answer.

"You have mistaken your man," returned the lawyer, now beginning to
comprehend Martin more thoroughly. "I understand my whole relation to
this affair too well to be moved by any attempt at extortion which
you can make. But I can tell you a little secret, which it may be
interesting for you to know."

"What is it?" growled the man.

"Why, that I hold the power to