t I can do with her,' he said, with a face and voice
of pure misery.

'Do, my boy,' said Steinberg, rising, and swinging the key of his
chambers upon his forefinger, 'see what you can do with her. I shan't
send any notification to the Committee before nine o'clock, old chap.
You can trust me for that. You go off at once, old fellow, and see what
you can do for her.'

The fraudulent possessor of the notes felt their burthen more than ever
insupportable. He rose, and went his way with remorse and rage and the
bitterness of baffled stratagem in his heart. His wounded mind soared to
so lofty a height of egotism in its struggles that he positively found
the impudence to curse Bom-maney for having dropped the notes in
his office. Then he cursed himself for having taken them, and cursed
Steinberg for robbing him, and so moved off in a condition quite
pitiable to one who could find the understanding and the heart to pity
him.

Steinberg stopped behind, and smoked smilingly. He was the successful
scoundrel, and found the transaction as sweet as the young Barter found
it bitter.

'I don't think hell have much trouble with her,' he said to himself; and
he enjoyed that little jest so much that he caught himself smiling at it
a hundred times in the course of the afternoon and evening.

VII

Old Brown, who was one of the sunniest-natured of men, went gloomy when
the news of his old friend's dreadful fall came to his ears. It does him
no more than justice to say that he mourned Bommaney senior infinitely
more than the money. He liked to trust people, and had all his life long
been eager to find excuses for defaulters. He could find no excuse here.
The theft was barefaced, insolent, dastardly. He puzzled over it, and
grew more cynical and bitter in his thoughts of the world at large than
he could have imagined himself. But then, when Bommaney junior came
home, and insisted on the restoration of the missing eight thousand from
his own small fortune, old Brown brightened up again. There was such
a thing as honesty in the world, after all. The restoration warmed
his heart anew. At first he fought against it, and would have none
of it--the mere candid and honest offer of it was enough for him; but
Philip was more resolute than himself, and the stronger man won. Phil
should never have cause to repent his goodness, the old fellow declared
to himself a thousand times. He should reap the proper reward of his own
honour. Brown adm