"I know what I know," he replied emphatically, and with this reply,
which roused all her suspicions, Mrs. Belswin was forced to be
content.
CHAPTER XXXII.
NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA.
'Neath the shining southern cross,
News of gain and news of loss,
Silver veining hidden rocks
Changes hourly shares and stocks:
By the magic power of shares,
Paupers turn to millionaires--
Millionaires to paupers change;
Transformation swift and strange.
Genii, no, nor fairy kings
Could not do such wond'rous things
As are daily done by scores,
On Australia's golden shores.
What passed between Maxwell and Samson Belk at their interview, Mrs.
Belswin could never discover; but as Archie did not in any way change
his manner towards her she was satisfied that her name had not
transpired during the conversation, or if it had, Belk had said
nothing detrimental to her in any way. As to Belk himself, she saw him
when he came up to London, but he refused to tell her whether he had
overheard the conversation between herself and Sir Rupert, and she was
therefore forced to remain in a constant state of uneasiness. Although
Belk denied that he had been out of the house after his return from
the four o'clock interview, and supported this assertion by the
evidence of his mother and the curate, yet Mrs. Belswin had a kind of
half suspicion that he had been on the terrace on the night in
question, and had heard more than he was willing to confess. But,
then, she argued to herself that, if this were the case, he would
certainly use his power over her to force her into marriage with him,
whereas he did nothing of the sort, but behaved as if he knew
absolutely nothing.
It was now three months since the famous interview at the Belk
cottage, and Samson had carried out the plan proposed by his mother.
He had appeared at a first-class music hall as the "Nineteenth Century
Samson," and, by his superior strength, had easily distanced his
rivals, both "The New Milo" and "The Modern Hercules." They, of
course, were furious at being eclipsed, but his mother was delighted
with his success; the music hall manager was charmed at the crowds
drawn by his new star, and perhaps the only person not thoroughly
happy was the star himself. The reason of this discontent was, that in
order to preserve his strength, he had to lead a very abstemious life,
both as regards food and drink, so that, although he was making a
large income, he was not enjoying it. Despite his discontent, however,
he still led his life of an ascetic, and saved all his money, which
was a marked contrast to his former extravagant ways; but then, he had
a purpose in economising, and the purpose was Mrs. Belswin, whom he
had made up his mind to marry, as soon as he was rich enough.