But don't you spoil it all by
making an ass of yourself."

Sexty, who was three parts drunk, looked up into his face for a few
seconds, and then made his reply. "I'm d----d if I believe a word of
it." Upon this Lopez affected to laugh, and then made his escape.

All this, as I have said, did not tend to make his life happy. Though
he had impudence enough, and callousness of conscience enough, to get
his bills paid by Mr. Wharton as often as he could, he was not quite
easy in his mind while doing so. His ambition had never been high,
but it had soared higher than that. He had had great hopes. He had
lived with some high people. He had dined with lords and ladies.
He had been the guest of a Duchess. He had married the daughter of
a gentleman. He had nearly been a member of Parliament. He still
belonged to what he considered to be a first-rate club. From a great
altitude he looked down upon Sexty Parker and men of Sexty's class,
because of his social successes, and because he knew how to talk and
to look like a gentleman. It was unpleasant to him, therefore, to be
driven to the life he was now living. And the idea of going out to
Guatemala and burying himself in a mine in Central America was not to
him a happy idea. In spite of all that he had done he had still some
hope that he might avoid that banishment. He had spoken the truth
to Sexty Parker in saying that he intended to get the L5000 from
Mr. Wharton without that terrible personal sacrifice, though he had
hardly spoken the truth when he assured his friend that the greater
portion of that money would go to him. There were many schemes
fluctuating through his brain, and all accompanied by many doubts.
If he could get Mr. Wharton's money by giving up his wife, should he
consent to give her up? In either case should he stay or should he
go? Should he run one further great chance with Bios,--and if so, by
whose assistance? And if he should at last decide that he would do so
by the aid of a certain friend that was yet left to him, should he
throw himself at that friend's feet, the friend being a lady, and
propose to desert his wife and begin the world again with her? For
the lady in question was a lady in possession, as he believed, of
very large means. Or should he cut his throat and have done at once
with all his troubles, acknowledging to himself that his career
had been a failure, and that, therefore, it might be brought with
advantage to an end? "After all," said h