Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-01-05
CHAPTER XS.

not with uS."
 CHAPTER xf.
 | THE HOUSE WITH THE RED PILLARS. Two days after his receipt of the second
 letter from the Tiger, Mir. Quest announced | to his wife that he was going to London on | business connected with the bank, and ex. | pected to be away for a couple of nights She laughed straight out. Really, Will | Ham," she said, ''you are a most consummate | actor. wonder that you think it worth | while to keep up the farce with me- Well, | hope that Edith is not going to be very ex- | pensive this time, because we don't seem to
 be too rich just now, and you See there is nc
 more of my money for her to have" | Mir. Quest winced visibly beneath this bitter satire, which his wife uttered with @
 smile of infantile innocence playing upon her
 face, but he made no reply. She knew too
 much. Only ill his heart he wondered what | fate she would mete out to him if ever she | got possession of the whole truth, and the l thought made him tremble. It seemed to | him that the owner of that baby face could | be terribly merciless in her vengeance and | that those soft white hands would close round the throat of man she hated, and utterly destroy him. Now, if never before, he realized that between him and this woman there must be enmity and a struggle to the death; and yet, strangely enough, he still loved heri
 MT. Quest reached London about o'clock, and his first act was to drive to Cossey S Sons, where he was informed that old Mr. Cossey was much better, and having heard that he was coming to town had sent to say that he particularly wished to see him, especially about the Honham castle estates Accordingly MT. Quest drove on to the old gentleman's mansion in Grosvenor street, where he asked for MT. Edward Cossey. The footman said that MT. Edward was upstairs, and showed him into study while he went to tell him of the arrival of his visitor. Mr. Quest glanced round the luxuriantly furnished room, which he saw was occupied by Edward himself, for some letters directed in his handwriting lay upon the desk, and g velveteen lounging coat that Mr. Guest recog- nized as belonging to him was hanging over the back of a chair. MT. Quests eye, wander ing over this coat, was presently caught by the corner of a torn flap of an envelope which projected from one of the pockets. It was of peculiar bluish tinge, in fact of hue which was much affected by his wife Listening for moment to hear if anybody was com ing, he stepped to the coat and extracted the letter. It was in his wifes handwriting, SO he took the liberty of hastily transferring it to his own pocket. In another minute Ed ward Cossey entered, and the two men shook hands.
 "How do you do, Quest" said Edward Il think that the old man is going to pull through this bout. He is helpless, but keen as knife, and has all the important matters from the bank referred to him. believe that he will last a year yet, but he will scarcely allow me out of his sight. He breaches away about business the whole day long, and says that he wants to communicate the fruits of his experience to me before it is too late. He wishes to see you; so if you will, you had better come up"
 Accordingly they went up stairs to large and luxurious bedroom on the first floor, where the stricken man lay upon a patent couch.
 When MT. Quest and Edward Cossey en- tered, lady-old Mir. Cosseys eldest daugh- ter-put down paper out of which she had been reading the money article aloud, and, rising, informed her father that Mir. Quest had come.
 'Mr. Quest?" said the old man, in a thin voice. "Ah, yes; want to see Mr. Quest very much. Go away now, Anna; you can come back by and by. Business before pleasure. Most instructive, though, that sud den fall in American railways But thought it would come, and got Cossey &5 Son clear of them," and he sniffed with satisfaction and looked as though he would have rubbed his hands if he had not been physically in capacitated from so doing
 MT. Quest came forward to where the in- valid lay. He was a gaunt old man with white hair and a pallid face, which looked almost ghastly in contrast to his black velvet skull cap, So far as MT. Quest could see, he appeared to be almost totally paralyzed, with the exception of his head, neck and left arm, which he could still move little. His black eyes, however, were full of life and intell- gence, and roamed about the room without teasing.
 "How do you do, MT. QuestF' he said; "sorry that I can't shake hands with you; but you see have been stricken down, though my brain is clear enough-clearer than ever 1t was, think. And l aint going to die vet don't think that am, because I ain't. I may live two years more-the doctor says that am sure to live one at least. A lot of money can be made in year if you keep your eyes open, Once made hundred and twenty thousand for Cossey & Son in one year; and may do it again before die. I may make lot of money, ah, a lot of money" and his voice went off into a, kind of thin scream that was not pleasant to listen to-
 II am sure hope you will, sir" said Mir. Quest, politely.
 "Thank you; take that for good luck, you know. We'll, we'll, MT. Quest, things haven't done so bad down in your part of the world not at all bad. considering the times, l thought that we should have to sell that old De la Molle up. but hear that he is going to pay us off. Can't imagine who has been fool enough to lend him the money. A client of yours, ehl We'll, he'll lose it, expect, and serve him right for his pains But am not sorry, for it is unpleasant for house like ours to have to sell an old client up Not that his account is worth tmuch-nothing at all; more trouble than prof1t--or wesshould not have done ;t He's no better than bankrupt, and the insolvency court is the best place for him. The world is to the rich and the fullness thereof There's an in- solvency court specially provided for De la Molle and his ike-empty old windbags with long sounding names; let him go there and make room for the men who have made money-heel bee! heer' and :once more his voice went off into sort of scream
 Here MT. Quest, who had had about enough of this sort of thing, changed the. converse tion by commencing to comment on various business transactions which he had been con- ducting on behalf of the house. The old man listened with the greatest interest, his keen