in purse or person, if you give us the
information that we want."

She interrupted him again. "Tell me what it is, and be quick about it."

"Second condition," he went on as impenetrably as ever; "you take me to
the place where I can find the certificate of your marriage to Septimus
Darts."

Her eyes glared at him like the eyes of a wild animal. Furies,
hysterics, faintings, denials, threats--Jackling endured them all by
turns. It was enough for him that his desperate guess of the evening
before, had hit the mark on the morning after. When she had completely
exhausted herself he returned to the experiment which he had already
tried with the maid. Well aware of the advantage of exhibiting gold
instead of notes, when the object is to tempt poverty, he produced
the promised bribe in sovereigns, pouring them playfully backward and
forward from one big hand to the other.

The temptation was more than the woman could resist. In another
half-hour the two were traveling together to a town in one of the
midland counties.

The certificate was found in the church register, and duly copied.

It also appeared that one of the witnesses to the marriage was still
living. His name and address were duly noted in the clerk's pocketbook.
Subsequent inquiry, at the office of the Customs Comptroller, discovered
the name of Septimus Darts on the captain's official list of the crew
of an outward bound merchant vessel. With this information, and with a
photographic portrait to complete it, the man was discovered, alive and
hearty, on the return of the ship to her port.

His wife's explanation of her conduct included the customary excuse that
she had every reason to believe her husband to be dead, and was followed
by a bold assertion that she had married Mr. Evelin for love. In Moses
Jackling's opinion she lied when she said this, and lied again when she
threatened to prosecute Mr. Evelin for bigamy. "Take my word for it,"
said this new representative of the unbelieving Jew, "she would have
extorted money from him if he had lived." Delirium tremens left this
question unsettled, and closed the cigar shop soon afterward, under the
authority of death.

The good news, telegraphed to New Zealand, was followed by a letter
containing details.

At a later date, a telegram arrived from Mrs. Evelin. She had reached
her destination, and had received the dispatch which told her that she
had been lawfully married. A letter to Lady Howel was promis