Mr。Jeffreyslookedupandthereweretracesofunwontedemotionuponhishard，regulatedface。
“Formyself，yes，Major——foryou，onthewhole，no。“
“Whatdoyoumean，Jeffreys？Idonotquiteunderstand。“
“Imean，Major，thatIamsorrybecauseyouhavenevertriedtoshuffleoffanyshadybusinessontomybackandleavemetobearthebruntofit；alsobecauseyouhavealwaystreatedmeasagentlemanshould，notasamachinetobeuseduntilabettercanbefound，andkickedasidewhenitgoesoutoforder。“
“Itisverykindofyoutosayso，Jeffreys，butIcan’trememberhavingdoneanythingparticular。“
“No，Major，youcan’trememberwhatcomesnaturaltoyou。ButIandtheothersremember，andthat’swhyIamsorry。ButforyourselfIamglad，sincealthoughAylwardandHaswellhaveputabigthingthroughandaregoingtomakeapotofmoney，thisisnoplaceforthelikesofyou，andnowthatyouaregoingIwillmakeboldtotellyouthatI
alwayswonderedwhatyouweredoinghere。Byandby，Major，therowwillcome，asithascomemorethanonceinthepast，beforeyourtime。“
“Andthen？“saidAlan，forhewasanxioustogettothebottomofthisman’smind，whichhithertohehadalwaysfoundsosecret。
“Andthen，Major，itwon’tmattermuchtoMessrs。AylwardandChampers-Haswell，whoareusedtothatkindofthingandwillprobablydissolvepartnershipandliequietforabit，andstilllesstofolklikemyself，whoareonlyservants。Butifyouwerestillhereitwouldhavematteredagreatdealtoyou，foritwouldblackenyournameandbreakyourheart，andthenwhat’sthegoodofthemoney？I
tellyou，Major，“theclerkwentonwithquietintensity，“thoughIamnobodyandnothing，ifIcouldafforditIwouldfollowyourexample。
ButIcan’t，forIhaveasickwifeandafamilyofdelicatechildrenwhohavetolivehalftheyearonthesouthcoast，tosaynothingofmyoldmother，and——IwasfoolenoughtobetakeninandbackSirRobert’slastlittleventure，whichcostmeallIhadsaved。SoyouseeImustmakeabitbeforethemachineisscrapped，Major。ButI
tellyouthis，thatifIcanget￡5000together，asIhopetodooutofSaharasbeforeIamamontholder，fortheyhadtogivemealook-
in，asIknewtoomuch，Iamofftothecountry，whereIwasborn，totakeafarmthere。NomoreofMessrs。AylwardandHaswellforThomasJeffreys。That’smybell。Good-bye，Major，I’lltakethelibertytowriteyoualinesometimes，forIknowyouwon’tgivemeaway。Good-
byeandGodblessyou，asIamsureHewillinthelongrun，“andstretchingouthishand，hetookthatoftheastonishedAlanandwrungitwarmly。
WhenhewasgoneAlanwentalso，noticingthattheclerks，whomsomerumouroftheseeventsseemedtohavereached，eyedhimcuriouslythroughtheglassscreensbehindwhichtheysatattheirdesks，ashethoughtnotwithoutregretandakindofadmiration。Eventhemagnificentbe-medalledporteratthedooremergedfromthecarvedteakboxwherehedweltandtouchinghiscapaskedifheshouldcallacab。
“No，thankyou，Sergeant，“answeredAlan，“Iwilltakeabus，and，Sergeant，IthinkIforgottogiveyouapresentlastXmas。Willyouacceptthis？——IwishIcouldmakeitmore，“andhepresentedhimwithtenshillings。
TheSergeantdrewhimselfupandsaluted。
“Thankyoukindly，Major，“hesaid。“I’drathertakethatfromyouthan￡10fromtheothergentlemen。But，Major，IwishwewereoutontheWestCoastagaintogether。It’sastinking，barbaroushole，butnotsobadasthis’erecity。“
Foroncethesetwohadservedascomrades，anditwasthroughAlanthatthesergeantobtainedhispresentlucrativebutsomewhatuncongenialpost。
Hewasoutsideatlast。Themassivegraniteportalvanishedbehindhimintheeveningmists，muchasanightmarevanishes。He，AlanVernon，whoforayearormorehadbeeninbondage，wasafreemanagain。Allhisdreamsofwealthhaddeparted；indeedifanything，saveinexperience，hewaspoorerthanwhenfirsttheshadowofyonderdoorwayfelluponhim。Butatleasthewassafe，safe。Thedeedofpartnershipwhichhadbeenasachainabouthisneck，wasnowwhiteashes；hisnamewaserasedfromthatfearfulprospectusofSaharaLimited，whereinmillionswhichsomeonewouldprovidewerespokenoflikesilverinthedaysofSolomon，asthingsofnoaccount。Thebitterestcriticcouldnotsaythathehadmadeahalfpennyoutoftheventure，infact，iftroublecame，hisvoluntaryabandonmentoftheprofitsduetohimmustgotohiscredit。Hehadplungedintotheicywatersofrenunciationandcomeupcleanifnaked。NeversincehewasaboycouldAlanrememberfeelingsoutterlylight-heartedandfreefromanxiety。Notforamillionpoundswouldhehavereturnedtogathergoldinthatmausoleumofreputations。Asforthefuture，hedidnotintheleastcarewhathappened。Therewasnoonedependentonhim，andinthiswayorinthathecouldalwaysearnacrust，anice，honestcrust。
Herandownthestreetanddancedforjoylikeachild，yes，andpresentedacrossing-sweeperagainstwhomhebuttedwithawholesixpenceincompensation。ThushereachedtheMansionHouse，notunsuspectedofinebrietybythepolice，andclamberedtothetopofabuscrowdedwithwearyandanxious-lookingCityclerksreturninghomeafteralongday’slabouratstarvationwage。Inthatcoldcompanyandachillingatmospheresomeofhisenthusiasmevaporated。Herememberedthatthisstepofhismeantthatsoonerorlater，withinayearortwoatmost，Yarleys，wherehisfamilyhaddweltforcenturies，mustgotothehammer。WhyhadhenotacceptedAylward’sofferandsoldthatoldfetishtohimfor￡17，000？Therewasnoquestionofshare-dealingthere，andifaverywealthymanchosetogiveafancypriceforacuriosity，hecouldtakeitwithoutdoubtorshame。AtleastitwouldhavesufficedtosaveYarleys，whichafterallwasonlymortgagedfor￡20，000。Forthelifeofhimhecouldnottell。Hehadactedonimpulse，averycuriousimpulse，andtherewasanendofitperhaps；
itmightbebecausehisunclehadtoldhimasaboythatthethingwasunique，orperhapsbecauseoldJeekie，hisnegroservant，venerateditsomuchandsworethatitwas“lucky。“Atanyratehehaddeclinedandtherewasanend。
Butanotherandagravermatterremained。HehaddesiredwealthtosaveYarleys，buthedesireditstillmoreforadifferentpurpose。
AboveeverythingonearthhelovedBarbara，hisdistantcousinandthenieceofMr。Champers-Haswell，whountilanhouragohadbeenhispartner。Nowshewasagreatheiress，andwithoutfortunehecouldnotmarryher，evenifshewouldmarryhim，whichremainedindoubt。ForonethingheruncleandguardianHaswell，underherfather’swill，hadabsolutediscretioninthismatteruntilshereachedtheageoftwenty-five，andforanotherhewastooproud。Thereforeitwouldseemthatinabandoninghisbusiness，hehadabandonedhischanceofBarbaraalso，whichwasatrulydreadfulthought。
Well，itwasinorderthathemightseeher，thathehadagreedtovisitTheCourtonthemorrow，eventhoughitmeantameetingwithhislatepartners，whowerethelastpeoplewithwhomhedesiredtoforegatheragainsosoon。ThenandtherehemadeuphismindthatbeforehebadeBarbarafarewell，hewouldtellherthewholestory，sothatshemightnotmisjudgehim。Afterthathewouldgooffsomewhere——toAfricaperhaps。Meanwhilehewasquitetiredout，astiredasthoughhehadlainaweekinthegripoffever。Hemusteatsomefoodandgettobed。Sufficientuntothedaywastheevilthereof，yetonthewholeheblessedthenameofJackson，editorof/TheJudge/andhisfather’soldfriend。
WhenAlanhadlefttheofficeSirRobertturnedtoMr。Champers-
Haswellandaskedhimabruptly，“Whatthedevildoesthismean？“
Mr。Haswelllookedupattheceilingandwhistledinhisownpeculiarfashion，thenanswered:
“Icannotsayforcertain，butouryoungfriend’sstrangeconductseemstosuggestthathehassmeltarat，possiblyeventhatJackson，theoldbeast，hasshownhimarat——ofalargeTurkishbreed。“
SirRobertnodded。
“Vernonisafellowwhodoesn’tlikerats；theyseemtohaunthissleep，“hesaid；“butdoyouthinkthathavingseenit，hewillkeepitinthebag？“
“Oh！certainly，certainly，“answeredMr。Haswellwithcheerfulness；
“themanisthesoulofhonour；hewillnevergiveusaway。Lookhowhebehavedaboutthoseshares。Still，Ithinkthatperhapswearewellridofhim。Toomuchhonour，liketoomuchzeal，isaverydangerousqualityinanybusiness。“
