Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-01-19
LQUARITCH,V.C
By II. RIDER HAGGARD.

in charge there. Here is some money" and he gave him q fivo pound note, 'and look here, Jones, you need not trouble abont the change"
 sThanl you, sir, I'm sure," said Jones, to whom, his salary being a guinea week, on which he supported q wife and family, a gift of four pounds was sudden wealth.
 Don't thank me- but do as l tell you. 1 will be down at the station at 7:10. Meet me outside and give me the ticket. That will do."
 When Jones had gone MT. Quest sat down to think.
 So it was George who had loosed this woman on him, and that was the meaning of his mysterious warning. How had he found her? That did not matter, he had found her, and in revenge for the action taken against the De la Molle family he had brought her here to denounce him. It had been cleverly managed, too. Mr. Quest reflected to him self that he should never have given the man credit for tho brains. We'll, that was what came of undertaking people.
 And so this was the end of all his hopes, ambitions, shifts and struggles The story would be in every paper in England before another twenty four hours were over, headed Remarkable occurrence at Boising- ham quarter sessions.-Alleged bigamy of a solicitor" No doubt, too, the treasury would take it up and institute prosecution This was the end of his strivings after re- spectability and the wealth that brings it. He had overreached himself. He had plot ted and schemed, and hardened his heart against the De h Molle family, and fate had made use of his success to destroy him. In another few months he had expected to be able to leave this place wealthy and re- spected man-and now! He laid his hand upon the table and reviewed his past life tracing it from year to year, and seeing how the shadow of this accursed woman had haunted him, bringing disgrace and terror and mental agony with it-making his life q | misery. And now what was to be done9 He was ruined. Let him fly to the utmost parts of the earth, let him burrow in the recesses of the cities of the earth and his shame would find him out. He was an impostor, bigamist, one who had seduced an innocent woman into mock marriage and then taken her fortune to buy the silence of his lawful wife. More, he had threatened to bring an action for divorce against woman to whom he knew he was not really married, and made it lever to extort vast sums of money or their value.
 What is there that a man in this position can dol
 He can do two things-he can revenge him. self upon the author of his ruin, and if he be bold enough, he can put an end to his ex- istence and his sorrows at blow. MT. Quest rose and walked to the door, Halting, he turned and looked round the office in that peculiar fashion wherewith the eyes take their adieu. Then with a sigh he went.
 Reaching his own house he hesitated whether or not to enter Had the news reached Belle? If SO how was he 10 face hers Her hands were not clean, indeed, but at any rate she had no mock marriage in her record, and her dislike of him had been un- concealed throughout. She had never wished to marry him, and never for one single day | regarded him otherwise than with aversion. After reflection he turned and went round by the back way into the garden. The cur tains of the French windows were drawn, but it was wet and windy night, and the draught occasionally lifted the edge of one of | them. He crcpt like thief up to his own | window and looked in. The drawing room | was lighted, and in low chair by the fire | sat Belle. She was, as usual, dressed i'll | black, and to Mr. Quest, who loved her, and | who knew that he was about to bid farewell l to the sight of her, she looked more beautiful | now than ever. A book lay open on her knee, and he noticed not without surprise that it was Bible. But she was not reading 1 1t, her dimpled chin rested on her hand, and | her violet eyes were fixed on vacancy, and l even from where he was he thought that he | could sec the tears in them.
 She had heard nothing; he was sure of that | from the expression of her face; she was thinking of her own sorrows, not of his | shame
 Yes, he would go in.