84 TRUE RICHES; oR,

 

Tf I am to sell my soul, Leonard Jasper shall not
have the whole price.”

Deliberately, as he spoke this within himself, did
Claire take from the drawer a five-dollar gold piece,
and thrust it into his pocket.

‘Mine, not his,” were the words with which he
approved the act. At the same instant Jasper en-
tered. The young man’s heart gave a sudden bound,
and there was guilt in his face, but Jasper did not
read its true expression.

“Well, Edward,” said he, cheerfully, “what luck
did you have with the old lady? Did she make a
pretty fair bill ?”

“*So-so,” returned Claire, with affected indiffer-
ence ; “‘ about thirty dollars.”

“Ah! so much ?”

“Yes; and, what is better, I made her pay pretty
‘Strong. She was from the country.”

“That'll do.” And Jasper rubbed his hands to-
gether energetically. ‘How much over and above
a fair percentage did you get ?”

** About five dollars.”

“Good, again! You're a trump, Edward.”

If Edward Claire was relieved to find that no
suspicion had been awakened in the thoughts of
Jasper, he did not feel very strongly flattered by
his approving words. The truth was, at the very
moment he was relating what he had done, there
came into his mind, with a most Startling distinct-
ness, the dream of his wife, and the painful feelings
it had occasioned.

“What folly! What madness! Whither am J
going ?”