Not only my own happiness, but
that of one who should be considered by you, depends upon my maintaining
that life to the end, unshadowed by unholy remembrances, and unharrassed
by any such proffers as you have presumed to make to me here to-day. If
you want a few thousand dollars to leave the country, say so, but never
again presume to offend my ears, or those of any one else we may know,
with any such words as you have made use of to-day.' And the spiritless
creature subsided, sir, and said no more to that rich, honored, and
successful man who was so sensitive to even the imputation of guilt.

"But I am not spiritless and just where he dropped the affair, I took it
up. 'Here is a chance for me to turn an honest penny,' thought I, and
with a deliberation little to be expected of me, perhaps, set myself to
spot that man and make the most out of the matter I could. Unfortunately
I lost the opportunity of seeing his face. I was too anxious to catch
every word they uttered, to quit my place of concealment till their
conversation was concluded, and then I was too late to be sure which of
the many men leaving the building before me was the one I was after. The
waiters were too busy to talk, and the proprietor himself had taken no
notice. Happily as I have before said, I never forget voices; moreover
one of the two speakers had made use of a phrase peculiar enough to
serve as a clue to his identity. It was in answer to some parting threat
of the older man, and will remind you of an expression uttered by
yourself an hour or so ago. 'Do you suppose I will let such a little
fuss as that deter me?' It was the cue to his speech, by which I
intended to hunt out my man from amongst the rich, the trusted and the
influential persons of this city, and when found, to hold him.'

"'And you think you have done this?' said I, too conscious of the
possible net about my feet to be simply angry. 'I know it,' said he;
'every word you have uttered since we have been here has made me more
and more certain of the fact. I could swear to your voice, and as to
your use of that tell-tale word, it was not till I thought to inquire of
a certain wide-awake fellow down town, who amongst our business men were
in the habit of using that expression, and was told Mr. Sylvester of the
Madison Bank, that I was enabled to track you. I know I have got my hand
on my man at last and--' He looked down at his thread-bare coat and
around at the tables with their smok