ntly replied, "That nothing having been
said as to the withdrawal of the said allowance in case Jasper became
a widower, he remained equally entitled, in point of honour, to receive
that allowance, or an adequate equivalent."

This answer being intimated to Jasper, that gentleman observed "that it
was no more than he had expected from Mr. Darrell's sense of honour,"
and apparently quite satisfied, carried himself and his L10,000 back
to Paris. Not long after, however, he wrote to Mr. Gotobed that "Mr.
Darrell having alluded to an equivalent for the L200 a year allowed to
him, evidently implying that it was as disagreeable to Mr. Darrell to
see that sum entered quarterly in his banker's books, as it had been
to see there the quarterly interest of the L10,000, so Jasper might be
excused in owning that he should prefer an equivalent. The commercial
firm to which he was about to attach himself required a somewhat larger
capital on his part than he had anticipated, &c., &c. Without presuming
to dictate any definite sum, he would observe that L1,500 or even L1000
would be of more avail to his views and objects in life than an annuity
of L200 a year, which, being held only at will, was not susceptible of
a temporary loan." Darrell, wrapped in thoughts wholly remote from
recollections of Jasper, chafed at being thus recalled to the sense of
that person's existence wrote back to the solicitor who transmitted
to him this message, "that an annuity held on his word was not to be
calculated by Mr. Hammond's notions of its value. That the L200 a year
should therefore be placed on the same footing as the L500 a year that
had been allowed on a capital of L10,000; that accordingly it might be
held to represent a principal of L4,000, for which he enclosed a cheque,
begging Mr. Gotobed not only to make Mr. Hammond fully understand that
there ended all possible accounts or communication between them, but
never again to trouble him with any matters whatsoever in reference to
affairs that were thus finally concluded." Jasper, receiving the L4,000,
left Darrell and Gotobed in peace till the following year. He then
addressed to Gotobed an exceedingly plausible, business-like letter.
"The firm he had entered, in the silk trade, was in the most flourishing
state--an opportunity occurred to purchase a magnificent mulberry
plantation in Provence, with all requisite magnanneries, &c., which
would yield an immense increase of profit. That if, to insu