A STRANGE BET

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8196, 28 July 1906, Page 7

A STRANGE BET

'Specially written for the Age by Rant Reloh.)

PART ll.—Continued. The press whose sharp-scented reporters had easily got hold of the Councillor's extraordinary behavour on his alighting from hit* carriage. fairly besieged his hoase for farther information, uselessly, of oourse. They, came to the ojnolusion that overwork and the anxietieß of many speculations had temporarily unhinged the mental equilibrium of the astute financier aid the papers, with their usual deliouoy, hinted as much, thus filling our friend's cup nf misery to the brim. Iu the morning Benny rose nervous, yet not cowed. His noee was swollen, yet he had to go about town. What, if he shonld meet that monster of an Englishman again? He conld stand no more outrages. He could not continue suuh a wretched existence. He resolved to appeal to his enemy's generosity. A resolution easier made than carried out. Far easier could Benny solve a financial difficulty than this epistolary one. After several abortive attempts, he wrote simply: *My lord, how much to relinquisn your oliam at

once?' This brief note be sent by a special messenger to Pastfoot's hotel. On bis retrun he was informed that his lordship had left town and that the time of his return was uncertain. That was a respite indeed.

Fastfoot had taken that mornings train to Nixbarg. Not alone! In _ company of a handsome, very pleasant lady—the lady to whom ten years ago he had given his heart, the lady of the arbour. How ■ th«y had happened to meet once | more, goodneaa knows, I don't. 1 That tbey met again with unfeigned I pleasure may be presumed from B his lordship's devoted attentions, fiom the the lady's openly pleased acceptance of the same. What these two had all to say to each other and how they said it aay be inferred from the fact that they were the only passengers in their „ railway carriage and that they r arrived at the Nixburg station without being at all aware of haying arrived at the place of their destination. For be it here said that Miss Clara was on her way to pay a long promised to her old sobbol fellow, the baroness. That keen-witted lady perceived at the first glance how matters stood between her two friends, cr why did Clara blush so charmingly at the searching look the baroness shot at her? Why did she embrace that lady with such fervour and COnfUSiOn? « L, The narrative of Fastfoot's taotics against the peace of the wealthy Councillor delighted the baroness immensely. She had no feeling of pity for the wretched man. Nay, she deprived the bbrou, who showed signs of relenting, of a further voice in the general I oounoil-of war. f- Three days of love-makiog she granted to the lovers. Then she qeni; hie lordship onoe more on the war path. •You must not give him (von Benjamin) time to recover courage,' she said, 'and now that you and Clara have made up your minds —I know you have—yon need not dawdle here any longer. Mind, take nothing less that £10,000.' Meanwhile his enemy's absenoe had revived Benny's courage. Onoe 'more he was the busiest of moneyed men; once more peace, purchased at the cost of expenisve presents and smoothly-told "aba reigned in his household. H.R.H. treated his Councillor with marked distinction, the public followed his lead: The High Priest of the Golden Calf ib ever worshiped by the mob like the Idol be serves. Fastf oot was almost forgotten in the incessant whirl of the energetio Councillor's activity. And now the great festal day had approached. . That great occasion, ostensibly designed todo'honour to the Royal guest, veiled a still more important purpose, that of raising the wind. For that purpose Prince Hoch had his Majesty's authority to disribute titles, honours and appointment's to places with a lavish hand—for certain monetary considerations. Our clever Councillor was the dens ex maohina chosen for this function. Behold him then from. an early hour of the day busy in receiving She financial and other magnates who desired to become recipients of the Koyal Bounties, in arranging and adjusting the kinds and values of the Royal concessions and graata, in settling rival olaims when competition was keen, irf smoothing raffled tempers here, in bullying the brazen there, in encouraging the bashful—in being all things to all men. A herculean task indeed! All this and more the Councillor accomplished with a skill and tact beyond all praise. While thus profitably employed and when tbe end of his strenuous labour was almost attained, a letter was brought to him—a letter with Lord Fastfoot's monogram on it. His equanimity left him, he turned pale, his hands shcok as he tore the missive open. He felt angry with himself for hia want of self possession, for he was well aware that all near him were curiously watching him, but the outward signs of bis emotion would not be resrained. This is what he read: '£lo,ooo is the price of my property.' 'lmopssible, impossible,', he muttered to himself, and that word he sent in answer to Fastfoot's note.

(To be Continued).