WEALTH WITHOUT WINGS. 107

 

the reluctance of Claire and his wife to part with
the child? Honey, you know, catches more flies
than vinegar.”

“ Buy him off, you mean ?”’

“6 Yes.”

“No—no! I hate him too cordially for that.
He’s a villain in disguise ; that’s my opinion of him.
A low, wing hypocrite. Buy him off for money.
Oh no !”

“ Could he be bought ?”’ asked the lawyer.

“Could he?’ A flush of surprise lit up, for a
moment, the face of Jasper. ‘What a question for
you to ask. Hasn’t every man his price ? Bought!
Yes, I could buy him fifty times over.”

‘Then do so, and in the quietest manner. That
is my advice.”’

“ll steal the child !’’ exclaimed Jasper, rising
up in his excitement, and moving uneasily about
the room.

Grind shook his head, as he replied—

“All folly. No man ever did a wise thing while
he was in a passion. You must permit yourself to
cool down a great many degrees before you can act
judiciously in this matter.”

“But to be thwarted by him!’ An expression
of the deepest disgust was in the face of Jasper.

“All very annoying, of course,” was the re-
sponse of Grind. “Still, where we can’t make
things bend exactly to our wishes, it is generally
the wisest policy to bend a little ourselves. We
often, in this way, gain a purchase that enables us
to bring all over to our side.”’

It must not be supposed that Grind, in giving his