"'You have had a turn of ill luck at the tables,' said the landlord. 'It is the way with most gentlemen; but sometimes a turn comes the other way.' He appeared perfectly satisfied, but I could not help feeling that he regarded me as a personal hostage for the amount of the bill. "I wrote again to my friend, imploring him not to delay, and this time I received no answer to my letter. I supposed he had left England on the business he referred to, and in my helpless position I was compelled to wait and eat my heart away. "Ten days elapsed before he came; he was dressed in mourning, and was sad and anxious, as though he had passed through some deep trouble. "'It was impossible for me to get here before,' he said gravely. "I nodded impatiently, and then, with an awkward, consciousness that something was due to him, I touched his black coat. "'You have had a loss," I said. "'You will hear sad news presently,' he answered, 'and you must prepare yourself for it. But tell me first of your troubles here. I was so harassed and grieved at the time your letter arrived that I hardly understood it; and then I laid it aside and could not find it again.' "Curbing my impatience, for he insisted upon my exposing the full extent of my misfortunes, I related to him briefly the result of my mad venture. "'And you are utterly ruined?' he said. "'Utterly, utterly ruined,' I replied. 'Enough of myself for the present. Tell me of my wife.' "His countenance fell. There was a significance in his manner which profoundly agitated me. Eager for an answer, and dreading it, I asked him why he did not speak. "'It is cruel,' he murmured, his face still averted from me, 'at such a time, when you have lost every hope in life, to say what I have come to say. We will speak together to-morrow.' "'We will speak together now!' I cried, seizing him by the arm, and compelling him to turn toward me. 'Do you think that anything you can say, any message you may bring from her, can add to the misery and degradation of my position? Tell me of my wife!' "'How can I speak?' he murmured. 'What can I say?' "'Speak the truth,' I said, 'and do not spare me. I deserve no mercy. I had none upon her; I cannot expect her to have any upon me. But an imputation has been cast upon me, an infamous, revolting imputation, and I must clear myself of it. That done, I shall not care what becomes of me. I have not told you of the last letter I received from her, the only letter she has written to me since we parted. In that letter she brings a horrible charge against me, instigated by some villain who bears me ill will, and I insist upon my right to defend myself.' "I would have said more, but my emotion overpowered me. "'She will not hear you,' said my friend sadly. "'She has told me so in her letter,' I replied; 'but you can give me her address, and I will write to her.' "'It will be useless,' he said, 'quite useless, I grieve to say.'