enough for it, that he has confided to you his hope, and asked you to help him; why should not you? Not a word to him about our little arrangement; he need never know it. You need never be troubled." Levy rang the bell: "Order my carriage round." Randal made no objection. He was deathlike pale, but there was a sinister expression of firmness on his thin bloodless lips. "The next point," Levy resumed, "is to hasten the match between Frank and the fair widow. How does that stand?" "She will not see me, nor receive him." "Oh, learn why! And if you find on either side there is a hitch, just let me know; I will soon remove it." "Has Hazeldean consented to the post-obit?" "Not yet; I have not pressed it; I wait the right moment, if necessary." "It will be necessary." "Ah, you wish it. It shall be so." Randal Leslie again paced the room, and after a silent self-commune, came up close to the Baron, and said-- "Look you, sir, I am poor and ambitious; you have tempted me at the right moment, and with the right inducement. I succumb. But what guarantee have I that this money will be paid--these estates made mine upon the condition stipulated?" "Before anything is settled," replied the Baron, "go and ask my character of any of our young friends, Borrowell, Spendquick--whom you please; you will hear me abused, of course; but they will all say this of me, that when I pass my word, I keep it; if I say, '_Mon cher_, you shall have the money,' a man has it; if I say, 'I renew your bill for six months,' it is renewed. 'Tis my way of doing business. In all cases my word is my bond. In this case, where no writing can pass between us, my only bond must be my word. Go, then, make your mind clear as to your security, and come here and dine at eight. We will call on Peschiera afterwards." "Yes," said Randal, "I will at all events take the day to consider. Meanwhile I say this, I do not disguise from myself the nature of the proposed transaction, but what I have once resolved I go through with. My sole vindication to myself is, that if I play here with a false die, it will be for a stake so grand, as, once won, the magnitude of the prize will cancel the ignominy of the play. It is not this sum of money for which I sell myself--it is for what that sum will aid me to achieve. And in the marriage of young Hazeldean with the Italian woman, I have another, and it may be a larger interest. I have slept on it lately--I wake to it now. Insure that marriage, obtain the post-obit from Hazeldean, and whatever the issue of the more direct scheme for which you seek my services, rely on my gratitude, and believe that you will have put me in the way to render gratitude of avail. At eight I will be with you." Randal left the room.