“Oh, Mr. Atherton! what a vile wretch I have been to abuse your confidence. A man never had a better friend than you have been to me. How can I ever thank you enough for giving me this chance. In her name, my poor mother’s, I bless you. Yes, I will go to Canada, and in the sight of Heaven I swear that if I live to threescore years and ten nothing can ever tempt me to fall again. This lesson has taught me I am not made for a rascal; my peace of mind demands that I have a clear conscience. Would you condescend to shake hands with me before I go, sir?” “Willingly, Jack; and if you can show me a year from now what you have done--if you can prove to me that this lesson has sunk into your heart, I’ll give you another trial, Jack.” “God bless you, sir. You will hear from me if I live.” Unable to say another word the young man turns and leaves the library. If any of the guests see him as he quits the house, their curiosity must be aroused by his manifest signs of emotion. “There will be one disappointed man in Chicago, I warrant,” says Aleck, whose eyes are moist. “You mean Bob Rocket. I can fix the matter up with him. In that case it’s only a question of dollars and cents. Under the circumstances I feel as though I had made a wise move. Almost the entire sum recovered, and poor Jack given a chance to redeem himself. What a strange fatality led him to this place to-night. It was probably a fortunate thing for him, as the colonel by this time would have had hold of him.” There is much that Wycherley does not understand, but he is not in a position to ask questions, so he guesses how things have gone. Aleck is relieved in several ways. There remains one more cause for speculation--the presence of Adela under this roof. Will she continue to keep her presence a secret from the man who was once her husband? Seeing her boy must indeed be a source of mingled joy and grief, since, yearning to make herself known, she dares not for fear of being repulsed. If the opportunity comes, he means to see her again and find out if something cannot be done to ease her last steps through life, for the end is not far away--Aleck is enough of a physician to read that in the hectic flush on her cheeks. They pass out among the guests. At the first opportunity Aleck tells Wycherley about her presence here, and that worthy is surprised, but knowing her story, soon grasps the situation. Can anything be done to aid her cause? They hardly dare approach the stern old man with the story, not being able to hazard a guess as to how he will take it. Something they have not counted on takes a hand in the game--the same power that brought Jack Phœnix to the house where his employer chanced to be--that peculiar combination of circumstances known as Fate. CHAPTER XXIV. HER ATONEMENT.