Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-01-28
CHAPTER XIV.
rnE roL1sH ApvENruRER.

along 1Ac ObaAiES A1AJ $500 my 49, -
the sunshine-itw was one of the soft, bright
spring days, OF which there are not many
at the French capital-and in the varie-
gated humsn panorama, always so interest
ing, of the streets of Paris.
They both liked the city, not as Ameri-
cans frequently do, for its glitter and mate
rial pleasures, but for the apparent happi.
ness OF The people. They knew that below
tbis external caiety was often grave dis
content and that it was part of the Gallo
tempersment to present fair outside
rnder most conditions, even the most ad-
verse. Nevertheless, it was pleasant to be
constantly passing persons OF every grade,
all the way from dukes to rag-pickers, who
looked as if every wish they had in life
were gratifed.
Goodwin was in particularly good spirits
-he mad to an extent confirmed the future
and everything in consequence appeared
fair TO him.
"Have you been able to guess yet,
inquired the doctor, "the source of the
influence exercised by Barigues upon the
elder Roydens"
No. I've bothered my brain by the
hour On that subject, and always uselessly.
Only two persons, in all probability, know
what the thing really is. They are Bari
CUES and Royden himself, and neither
would be very likely to tell. To the
former, it is power to the latter, it is
compulsion. The secret once out, Bari
CUES power would be lost, and Royden's
terror. if it be terror, wholly at an end
at is certainly very remarkable mys-
terv. Oscar. can't comprehend how a
foreigner, who has seemingly been but a
short time in the United States, could gain
any knowledge of RoYden, an old citizen,
which he should fear to have divulged'
And how could the foreigner secure any
knowledge that some one of Royden s
more intimate acquaintances would not be
apt to have also p
"Pve asked the same question of myself
again and again. But Barigues must have
discovered something in Royden's past life
that Royden would dread to have exposed.
What is it:'
81 can't believe Royden to have been
guilty Of any crime, in any strict sense. L
do not wish TO wound your sehsibilitieS,
Oscar. in view of connubial contingencies /;
but I feel constrained to say that your pos
aible father-in-law does not impress me
as a very strong man."
"Nor me either. He is evidently weak 4;
lust the sort of person who might, in my
Judgment, be terrorized by a shrewd scoun-
drel of Barigues' type. Mere menaces,
without means to execute them, might
fripbten him. And Barigues must be, as
we have often said, an astute judge Of
human nature, particularly of its weak
nesses.
eve at least agree, Oscar, in our opinion
of the character of the enigmatic foreigner.
One reason of Royden's weakness is his
hypocrisy. He assumes to be so much
which he is not, that he is naturally afraid
of being found out. He pretends to be
pattern husband and father, a model Chris
tian, an active philanthropist-to be an
embodiment, in brief, of all the virtues
and he IS not by any means. He's almost
as selfish and vain as his son, who appears
less weak than his father, because his am
bition is to be wicked, and he does not
want to seem otherwise" "
"a Just distinction, Archer. You must
not fancy from my silence that l am
blinded TO the plentiful defects of the fam
ily. or that my interest in Margaret makes
me see the other members in rosy light.
You're aware that I've often expressed my
surprise that she should belong to them, or
that they should belong to her. know
the elder Royden has very little capacity
He wonld never have been President of the
Babylon Bank by merit. He is largely a
figure. head the Cashier and one or two
Directors conduct the business. Royden
is so well known in connection with church
and benevolent societies that the name of
w. Neville Royden is good advertise
ment for the bank"
"You're entirely right there, my dear
boy. All the Roydens, except Margaret,
are humbugs; but she has sufficient de-
serving to yield them, if it were well dis
tribu.ed, far more than the average degree
of worthiness. But you haven't untolded
your scheme yet for ensnaring the Count.
What do you propose to do first! ,"
"To go to Craoow, where the Polish
adverturer lived until he had reached man
hood. and where he began his course OF
swindling. l want, if possible, to trace
him step by step. If I can, | shall GER
tainly discover, as 1 believe that he will
soon assume the shape of Barigues. "
Good. III go with you, Oscar; well
hunt the actual rascal together until we
have proof, one way or the other, whether
he is or is not identical with the presump-
tive rascal"
"You're generous, as always, Archer,
and appreciate your generosity. But I
won't permit you to do my work. Chris
tina, who ought to be at Mannheim before
this, wishes to see you very much. l
shrewdly suspect that she-no, ] won't
say it.
sPlease don't. 1 respect your delicacy.
| should be very glad to see her; and yet
it's embarrassing. Why isn't she mathe-
matician, and homely, and fifty years of
age. She would be, if she had the least
idea of prudence But it is just ike her to
be pretty and sweet and affectionate and in
genuous and then, to cap the climax of her
folly, to be eighteen years old. It's pos
itively ridiculous. won't see her"
"You don't mean that, Archer. You