like many another self-made man, had a v

evening of his days he was very averse to relinquishing any of the moral spoils of his victory. To thwart Jasper Jarman was

that ran round two sides of the house. He walked with an assertive tread, his large square-toed boots crunching the gravel rhythmically. His hands were lightly clasped behind his back, and with chest thrown well

cautiously forth upon the world. As the pompous figure of Mr. Jasper Jarman rounded the

r, his unbuttoned waistcoat and his vaguely tied cravat gi

ace with Mr. Jasper Jarman was q

with the lark, eh! the early bir

ke a top, thanks; capital room Charlotte's

uncle, pray do

sun rather trying. She's going to turn the room

the room

dle a moment, always up and doing. You won't k

't know him by then, but, too taken aback to reply, he merely passed

itically over some standard rose trees, that, eac

y unless I'm pottering about with a trowel. I'll have this place," he waved his arm comprehensively, "shipshape in no time. I'll have those

felt he must say something. Then he sat down on a rustic garden seat and nervously r

me, yes, a nice little place. B

ter, uncl

of it. Your aunt is always telling me that Charlotte married a fool-n

ortune in postage, and they rewarded me liberally. Then they found out I could correspond and speak in French and S

dividuals who appear to undergo a refrigerating process during the night hours and to awake frost-bitten. During the day she would gradually thaw. The process was s

e hated to leave Charlotte alone to play his game for him. To let Uncle Jasper suspect that he was not still in the service of the firm would of course be fatal. As he stood in the hall drawing on his gloves he noticed that the post

or me,

cle; it

pen the envelope. The action was quite unpremeditated, but he thought it might look suspicious to place it in his pocket uno

rosvenor Square, and Edward thought it strange that that should be so. Surely his housekeeper in town knew that her master was not at the cottage. Altogether Kyser's departure was rather suspicious. Edward had heard Mr. Schultz speaking to his partner the day he had left, had even heard th

fter him. Self-preservation told Edward that he should read the contents of the envelope he held in h

nd descended the further hill into Watford. He was still holding in his hand the letter. At eleven o'clock he entered the smoking-room of the Rose and Cr

TWENTY-THI

YORK

.S

ney Kys

AR OLD

he doctor here, who gives me two weeks to live, speaks the truth. Well, I've had a good innings, and, as they say over here, 'there's no kick coming.' I leave only one regret, and it is with regard to this that I venture to write to you. If you would do a dying man a kindnes

a story so remarkable that i

en act as you see fit. But I conjure you, by

the head of this notepaper, which please send in to

DNEY re

ter, Mr. Nixon will at once put you in compl

hall pray for you and th

ou

T BAXE

whether you would like to undertake what I ask in your own name, I though

.

e. Then he sat for a long time thinking on what he had read. There was no way of corresponding with

, under the name of Sydney, gather what information he could from Mr. Ni

another's affairs; but he was hardly himself. The excitement of the last few days had had anything but a salutary effect upon his

othing against his going to St. Mary Axe. The letter plainly showed that Mr. Kyser and Mr. Nixon were unacquainted. There would be

g-room, where he found a bottle of red ink. From the head of Mr. Baxendale's letter he tore the crest and he

r the moment, Mr. Sydney, pushed open the swing doors of Mr. Abra