e's refusal had really been the incentive
which had spurred him on to greater success. It was to revenge himself
that he had plunged deeper into business than ever, and he had bought
his fine house to show that he could afford to live in style. He had
intended then to marry; but he had not had time to do so; he had always
been too busy.

Catherine Trelane, at least, was not dead. He had not heard of her in a
long time; she had married, he knew, a man named--Shepherd, he believed,
and he had heard that her husband was dead.

He would see that she knew he was worth--the page of figures suddenly
flashed in before his eyes like a magic-lantern slide. Yes, he was worth
all that! and he could now marry whom and when he pleased.

CHAPTER II

Livingstone closed his books. He had put everything in such shape that
Clark, his confidential clerk, would not have the least trouble this
year in transferring everything and starting the new books that would
now be necessary.

Last year Clark had been at his house a good many nights writing up
these private books; but that was because Clark had been in a sort of
muddle last winter,--his wife was sick, or one of his dozen children had
met with an accident,--or something,--Livingstone vaguely remembered.

This year there would be no such trouble. Livingstone was pleased at the
thought; for Clark was a good fellow, and a capable bookkeeper, even
though he was a trifle slow.

Livingstone felt that he had, in a way, a high regard for Clark. He was
attentive to his duties, beyond words. He was a gentleman, too,--of a
first-rate family--a man of principle. How he could ever have been
content to remain a simple clerk all these years, Livingstone could not
understand. It gave him a certain contempt for him. That came, he
reflected, of a man's marrying indiscreetly and having a houseful of
children on his back.

Clark would be pleased at the showing on the books. He was always
delighted when the balances showed a marked increase.

Livingstone was glad now that he had not only paid the old clerk extra
for his night-work last year, but had given him fifty dollars
additional, partly because of the trouble in his family, and partly
because Livingstone had been unusually irritated when Clark got the two
accounts confused.

Livingstone prided himself on his manner to his employees. He prided
himself on being a gentleman, and it was a mark of a gentleman always
to treat subordinates