iar
laugh, "none of your Russian roubles. By jingo, what notes those were,
though. They didn't find 'em out for years. Well?"

He looked from one to the other as they sat watching him in helpless
dismay.

"Come; don't fool. You are keeping the lady waiting, and old Jerrold is
a regular Tartar, I can tell you. He will not stand any nonsense. I
know him of old. Come, what is it to be?"

He looked fixedly at Stratton, as if urging him to speak, but no words
came.

"I say, what is it to be?" cried the man fiercely. "No shilly-shally!
Don't put me out, or I shall be more nasty than you like. There, there,
don't let's quarrel, gentlemen," he cried, changing his tone. "We're
all men of the world, and we've got to deal with an ugly difficulty.
Let's settle it sensibly. I'm sorry for you, Stratton. It's
disappointing for you to have a dead man come to life and claim his wife
just as you are going to take the pretty widow to the church; but these
accidents will occur, and when they do let's repair damages the best way
we can. Well; why don't you speak; don't let me do all the talking."

Stratton drew a deep breath.

"Oh, it's of no use to sigh over it, sir, not a bit. Nothing to sigh
for. Come, hang it all, Myra Barron's worth a few hundreds down, and a
little income for her lawful lord. I don't want her, but I can't afford
to sell her too cheaply--hang the thing!"

He gave his head an uneasy jerk, and his hand played about his neck and
the back of his right ear for a few moments, as if something troubled
him. But it passed off directly, and he looked from one to the other
again as he took a chair, turned it, and supported himself by propping
himself with the back.

"Now then: the parson's waiting, and the carriages and the people.
Drink my health after its all over, and think to yourself I've behaved
like a trump. Write out a cheque, and send the old man here to cash it,
only look here, old fellow, no games, no tricks. You'll play fair--or I
shall make it pretty unpleasant for all concerned, I can tell you. All
right, you'll be square. You can't afford to play tricks. Now, then,
we are agreed, eh? That's right. Better than having a furious row
about nothing. What do you say?"

"I was about to speak to my friend, sir," said Stratton quietly. Then
turning to Brettison--"Now what do you think; we must completely alter
our plans."

"Yes," said Brettison, with a sigh.

"Make your plans, gentle