‘Come, come, Mr. Caldigate.’

’Foul miscreants!  But they shall have their money, and you shall hear me tell them when I give it to them,—­and they must both be here to take it from my hands,—­that I do not at all require their absence.  There is to be no bargain between us.  They are free to remain and swear their false oaths against me.  Whether they go or whether they stay will be no affair of mine.’

‘They’ll go, of course, Mr. Caldigate.’

’Not at my instance.  I will take care that that shall be known.  They must both come; and into their joint hands will I give the cheque, and they must come prepared with a receipt declaring that they accept the money as restitution of the loss incurred by them in purchasing the Polyeuka mine from me.  Do you understand?  And I shall bring a witness with me to see them take the money.’  Bollum who was considerably depressed by his companion’s manner, said that he did understand.

‘I suppose I can have a private room here, at noon to-morrow?’ asked Caldigate, turning to the woman at the bar.

When that was settled he assured Bollum that a cheque for the amount should be placed in the joint hands of Timothy Crinkett and Euphemia Smith if he, and they with him, would be there at noon on the following day.  Bollum in vain attempted to manage the payment without the personal interview, but at last agreed that the man and the woman should be forthcoming.

That night Caldigate dined at his Club, one of the University Clubs, at which he had been elected just at the time of his marriage.  He had seldom been there, but now walked into the dinner-room, resolving that he would not be ashamed to show himself.  He fancied that everybody looked at him, and probably there were some present who knew that he was about to stand his trial for bigamy.  But he got his dinner, and smoked his cigar; and before the evening was over he had met an old College friend.  He was in want of a friend, and explained his wants.  He told something of his immediate story, and then asked the man to be present at the scene on the morrow.

‘I must have a witness, Gray,’ said he, ’and you will do me a kindness if you will come.’  Then Mr. Gray promised to be present on the occasion.

On the following morning he met Gray at the Club, having the cheque ready in his pocket, and together they proceeded to Levant Court.  Again he was a little before his time, and the two sat together in the gloomy little room up-stairs.  Bollum was the first to come, and when he saw the stranger, was silent,—­thinking whether it might not be best to escape and warn Crinkett and the woman that all might not be safe.  But the stranger did not look like a detective; and, as he told himself, why should there be danger?  So he waited, and in a few minutes Crinkett entered the room, with the woman veiled.

‘Well, Caldigate,’ said Crinkett, ‘how is it with you?’

‘If you please, Mrs. Smith,’ said Caldigate, ’I must ask you to remove your veil,—­so that I may be sure that it is you.’