gher towards his goal upon the wreck of their fortunes. Where other
men had failed he had succeeded. To-day the triumph was his alone. He
was a millionaire--one of the princes of the world!

The young man, who had filled his box and also a black bag, was ready
to go. He ventured most respectfully to break in upon the reflections of
his employer.

"Is there anything more for me to do, sir?"

Trent woke from his day-dream into the present. He looked around the
room and saw that no papers had been omitted. Then he glanced keenly
into his clerk's face.

"Nothing more," he said. "You can go."

It was significant of the man that, notwithstanding his hour of triumph,
he did not depart in the slightest degree from the cold gruffness of his
tone. The little speech which his clerk had prepared seemed to stick in
his throat.

"I trust, sir, that you will forgive--that you will pardon the liberty,
if I presume to congratulate you upon such a magnificent stroke of
business!"

Scarlett Trent faced him coldly. "What do you know about it?" he asked.
"What concern is it of yours, young man, eh?"

The clerk sighed, and became a little confused. He had indulged in
some wistful hopes that for once his master might have relaxed, that an
opportune word of congratulation might awaken some spark of generosity
in the man who had just added a fortune to his great store. He had a
girl-wife from whose cheeks the roses were slowly fading, and very
soon would come a time when a bank-note, even the smallest, would be a
priceless gift. It was for her sake he had spoken. He saw now that he
had made a mistake.

"I am very sorry, sir," he said humbly. "Of course I know that these men
have paid an immense sum for their shares in the Bekwando Syndicate. At
the same time it is not my business, and I am sorry that I spoke."

"It is not your business at any time to remember what I receive for
properties," Scarlett Trent said roughly. "Haven't I told you that
before? What did I say when you came to me? You were to hear nothing and
see nothing outside your duties! Speak up, man! Don't stand there like a
jay!"

The clerk was pale, and there was an odd sensation in his throat. But he
thought of his girl-wife and he pulled himself together.

"You are quite right, sir," he said. "To any one else I should
never have mentioned it. But we were alone, and I thought that the
circumstances might make it excusable."

His employer grunted in an ominous man