“Don’t talk to me, Sir.  Don’t dare to say a word,” cried Mr. Newt, in a voice shrill with anger.  “All my life has come to nothing.  All my sacrifices, my industry, my efforts, are of no use.  I am a beggar, Sir; so are you!”

He sank back in his chair and covered his face with his hands.  The noise made the old book-keeper outside look in.  But it was no new thing.  The hot debates of the private room were familiar to his ear.  With the silent, sad fidelity of his profession he knew every thing, and was dumb.  Not a turn of his face, not a light in his eye, told any tales to the most careful and sagacious inquirer.  Within the last few months Mr. Van Boozenberg had grown quite friendly with him.  When they met, the President had sought to establish the most familiar intercourse.  But he discovered that for the slightest hint of the condition of the Newt business he might as well have asked Boniface himself.  Like a mother, who knows the crime her son has committed, and perceives that he can only a little longer hide it, but who, with her heart breaking, still smiles away suspicion, so the faithful accountant, who supposed that the crash was at hand, was as constant and calm as if the business were never before so prosperous.

CHAPTER LIII.

SLIGO MOULTRIE vice ABEL NEWT.

Abel Newt had now had two distinct warnings of something which nobody knew must happen so well as he.  He dined sumptuously that very day, and dressed very carefully that evening, and at eight o’clock was sitting alone with Grace Plumer.  The superb ruby was on her finger.  But on the third finger of her left hand he saw a large glowing opal.  His eyes fastened upon it with a more brilliant glitter.  They looked at her too so strangely that Grace Plumer felt troubled and half alarmed.  “Am I too late?” he thought.

“Miss Grace,” said Abel, in a low voice.

The tone was significant.

“Mr. Newt,” said she, with a half smile, as if she accepted a contest of badinage.

“Do you remember I said I was perfectly happy?”

He moved his chair a little nearer to hers.  She drew back almost imperceptibly.

“I remember you said so, and I was very glad to hear it.”

“Do you remember my theory of perfect happiness?”

“Yes,” said Miss Plumer, calmly, “I believe it was perfect love.  But I think we had better talk of something else;” and she rose from her chair and stood by the table.

“Miss Plumer!”

“Mr. Newt.”

“It was you who first emboldened me.”

“I do not understand, Sir.”

“It was a long time ago, in my mother’s conservatory.”

Grace Plumer remembered the evening, and she replied, more softly,

“I am very sorry, Mr. Newt, that I behaved so foolishly:  I was young.  But I think we did each other no harm.”

“No harm, I trust, indeed, Miss Grace,” said Abel.  “It is surely no harm to love; at least, not as I love you.”