ough piece of mechanism
screwed up to a very level pitch and now seldom out of order, which
fulfilled the same organic functions under the old gentleman's coat.

"What, Dick! what ill wind--it must be an ill wind--sends you here in
September? You ought to be among the partridges, my boy."

"It is an ill wind," said Dick.

"No need to tell me that: but judging by your complexion nothing of a
tremendous character. Money? or love?"

"Well, sir, it is not really my own business at all. As for my complexion,
that don't matter. I don't show outside."

"Some men don't," said the old lawyer laconically; "but if the trouble
is not your own that is easy to understand."

At this Dick gave a short laugh. He wanted it to be believed that the
trouble was not his own, and yet he did not quite care to be supposed
indifferent to it.

"It's an old story," he said. "It is something that happened to--Tom
Wyld, an old crony of mine out on the other side."

"I suppose you mean in America. No more slang than you can help, please.
It's admirably expressive sometimes, I allow: but not being used to it
in my youth I have some difficulty in following. Well, about Tom Wyld--one
of the old judge's sons or grandsons, I suppose."

Dick's complexion heightened a little.

"Oh, not any one you ever heard of--a fellow I picked up--out there."

"Oh, a fellow you picked up out there?"

"It was in one of the new States far West; not the sort of place for
nicety of any sort, sir, to tell the truth. Judge Lynch and not much
else, in the way of law."

"Works very well I don't doubt--simplifies business immensely," said the
old lawyer, nodding his head.

"Makes business, too--lots of it. Well, sir, my friend met with a girl
there." Dick seemed to have great difficulty in getting this out. He
stammered and his healthy complexion grew now pale, now red.

"Most likely--they generally do, both in novels and out of them," the
old gentleman said. "You had better tell me your story straight off. I
shall interrupt you no more."

"Well, sir, the girl was very young, very pretty, I might say
beautiful--not like anything he had ever met before. Without training,
but he thought at her pliable age it was so easy to remedy that." (The
old lawyer shook his head with a groan but said nothing.) "She had never
seen anything but the rough people about, and knew only their manners
and ways. Everything went on well enough for a little while after they
were marri