they had, therefore, a
good excuse for advising Bessy to defer her experiment.

Almost at the same time, however, another piece of news changed the
aspect of affairs. A scandalous occurrence at the Eldorado, witnesses to
which were unexpectedly forthcoming, put it in Amherst's power to
threaten the landlord with exposure unless he should at once accept the
company's offer and withdraw from Westmore. Amherst had no long time to
consider the best means of putting this threat into effect. He knew it
was not only idle to appeal to Truscomb, but essential to keep the facts
from him till the deed was done; yet how obtain the authority to act
without him? The seemingly insuperable difficulties of the situation
whetted Amherst's craving for a struggle. He thought first of writing to
Mrs. Westmore;, but now that the spell of her presence was withdrawn he
felt how hard it would be to make her understand the need of prompt and
secret action; and besides, was it likely that, at such short notice,
she could command the needful funds? Prudence opposed the attempt, and
on reflection he decided to appeal to Mr. Gaines, hoping that the
flagrancy of the case would rouse the President from his usual attitude
of indifference.

Mr. Gaines was roused to the extent of showing a profound resentment
against the cause of his disturbance. He relieved his sense of
responsibility by some didactic remarks on the vicious tendencies of the
working-classes, and concluded with the reflection that the more you did
for them the less thanks you got. But when Amherst showed an
unwillingness to let the matter rest on this time-honoured aphorism, the
President retrenched himself behind ambiguities, suggestions that they
should await Mrs. Westmore's return, and general considerations of a
pessimistic nature, tapering off into a gloomy view of the weather.

"By God, I'll write to her!" Amherst exclaimed, as the Gaines portals
closed on him; and all the way back to Westmore he was busy marshalling
his arguments and entreaties.

He wrote the letter that night, but did not post it. Some unavowed
distrust of her restrained him--a distrust not of her heart but of her
intelligence. He felt that the whole future of Westmore was at stake,
and decided to await the development of the next twenty-four hours. The
letter was still in his pocket when, after dinner, he was summoned to
the office by Truscomb.

That evening, when he returned home, he entered the little si