had understood the old man’s weakness, and, with satanic cunning, had set himself to the task of wholesale robbery, with crushing results to his victim.  This had given him the necessary power to further prosecute his suit.  As yet he had not displayed his hand.  He felt that the time was barely ripe.  Before putting the screw on the Allandales it had been his object to rid the place, and his path, of his only stumbling block.  In this he had not quite succeeded as we have seen.  He quite understood that the Hon. Bunning-Ford must be removed from Foss River first.  Whilst he was on hand Jacky would be difficult to coerce.  Instinctively he knew that “Lord” Bill was her lover, and, with him at hand to advise her, Jacky would hold out to the last.  However, he believed that in the end he must conquer.  Bunning-Ford’s resources were very limited he knew, and soon his hated rival must leave the settlement and seek pastures new.  Lablache was but a clever scheming mortal.  He did not credit others with brains of equal caliber, much less cleverer and more resourceful than his own.  It had been better for him had his own success in life been less assured, for then he would have been more doubtful of his own ability to do as he wished, and he would have given his adversaries credit for a cleverness which he now considered as only his.

After some time spent in surveying and considering his plans his thoughts reverted to other matters.  This was the night of the half-breed pusky.  His great face contorted into a sarcastic smile as he thought of Sergeant Horrocks.  He remembered with vivid acuteness every incident of his interview with the officer two nights ago.  He bore the man no malice now for the contradiction of himself, for the reason that he was sure his own beliefs on the subject of Retief would be amply realized.  His lashless eyes quivered as his thoughts invoked an inward mirth.  No one realized more fully than did this man the duplicity and cunning of the Breed.  He anticipated a great triumph over Horrocks the next time he saw him.

As the time passed on he became more himself.  His loneliness did not strike him so keenly.  He felt that after all there was great satisfaction to be drawn from a watcher’s observance of men.  Isolated as he was he was enabled to look on men and things more critically than he otherwise would be.

He reached over to his tobacco jar, which stood upon his desk, and leisurely proceeded to fill his pipe.  It was rarely he indulged himself in an idle evening, but to-night he somehow felt that idleness would be good.  He was beginning to feel the weight of his years.

He lit his heavy briar and proceeded to envelop himself in a cloud of smoke.  He gasped out a great sigh of satisfaction, and his leathery eyelids half closed.  Presently a gentle tap came at the glass door, which partitioned off the office from the store.  Lablache called out a guttural “Come in,” at the same time glancing at the loud ticking “alarm” on the desk.  He knew who his visitor was.