hat sight diverts me,--gentlemen, your health."

Descending from his eminence, he passed slowly down the room unscathed,
unmenaced, and, with a low mocking bow at the threshold, strode along
the passage to the streetdoor. There, seeing Cutts with the light in his
hand, he uncocked the pistol, striking off the caps, and giving it
to his quondam associate, said: "Return that to its owner, with my
compliments. One word-speak truth, and fear nothing. Did you send help
to Darrell?" "No; I swear it."

"I am sorry for it. I should like to have owed so trusty a friend that
one favour. Go back to your pals. Understand now why I scorned to work
with such rotten tools."

"A wonderful fellow, indeed!" muttered Cutts, as his eye followed the
receding form of the triumphant bravo. "All London might look to itself,
if he had more solid brains, and less liquid fire in them."

CHAPTER VIII.

JASPER LOSELY SLEEPS UNDER THE PORTICO FROM WHICH FALSEHOOD WAS
BORNE BY BLACK HORSES. HE FORGETS A PROMISE, REWEAVES A SCHEME,
VISITS A RIVER-SIDE, AND A DOOR CLOSES ON THE STRONG MAN AND THE
GRIM WOMAN.

Jasper, had satisfied the wild yearnings of his wounded vanity. He had
vindicated his claim to hardihood and address, which it seemed to him
he had forfeited in his interview with Darrell. With crest erect and a
positive sense of elation, of animal joy that predominated over hunger,
fatigue, remorse, he strided on--he knew not whither. He would not go
back to his former lodgings; they were too familiarly known to the
set which he had just flung from him, with a vague resolve to abjure
henceforth all accomplices, and trust to himself alone. The hour was
now late--the streets deserted--the air bitingly cold. Must he at last
resign himself to the loathed dictation of Arabella Cram? Well, he
now preferred even that to humbling himself to Darrell, after what had
passed. Darrell's parting words had certainly implied that he would
not be as obdurate to entreaty as he had shown himself to threats. But
Jasper was in no humour to entreat. Mechanically he continued to stride
on towards the solitary district in which Arabella held her home; but
the night was now so far advanced that he shrunk from disturbing the
grim woman at that hour--almost as respectfully afraid of her dark eye
and stern voice as the outlaws he had quitted were of his own crushing
hand and levelled pistol. So finding himself in one of the large squares
of Bloomsbu