’Ah。yes，——Imeanttohavetoldyou。Ididn’twantthemoney，asitturnedout，formuchaboveafortnight，andastherewasnouseinlettingthebillrunout，Isettledit。’Sosayinghetookoutapocket-book，extractedthebill，andshowedittoSexty。Sexty’sheartflutteredinhisbosom。Therewashisnamestillonthebitofpaper，anditmightstillbeused。Havingitshownhimafterthisfashioninitsmidcareer，ofcoursehehadstronggroundforhope。Buthecouldnotbringhimselftoputouthishandforit。’Astowhatyousayaboutsteadybusiness，ofcoursethat’sverywell，’saidLopez。’Itdependsonwhetheramanwantstomakeasmallincomeoralargefortune。’Hestillheldthebillasthoughheweregoingtofolditupagain，andtheimportanceofitwassopresenttoSexty’smindthathecouldhardlydigesttheargumentaboutthesteadybusiness。’IownthatIannotsatisfiedwiththeformer，’continuedLopez，’andthatIgoinforthefortune。’Ashespokehetorethebillintothreeorfourbits，apparentlywithoutthinkingofit，andletthefragmentsfalluponthefloor。ItwasasthoughamountainhadbeentakenoffSexty’sbosom。Hefeltalmostinclinedtosendoutforabottleofchampagneonthemoment，andtheargumentsofhisfriendranginhisearswithquiteadifferentsound。Theallurementsofasteadyincomepaledbeforehiseyes，andhetoobegantotellhimselfashehadoftentoldhimselfbefore，thatifhewouldonlykeephiseyesopenandhishearthigh，therewasnoreasonwhyhetooshouldnotbecomeacitymillionaire。ButonthatoccasionLopezlefthimsoon，withoutsayingverymuchabouthisfavouritespeculation。Inafewdays，however，thesamematterwasbroughtbeforeSexty’seyesfromanotherdirection。HelearnedfromasidewindthatthehouseofHunkyandSonswasconcernedlargelyinthisbusiness，——oratanyratehethoughtthathehadsolearned。TheeasewithwhichLopezhaddestroyedthatbillsixweeksbeforeitwasduehadhadgreateffectuponhim。Thoseargumentsaboutalargefortuneorasmallincomestillclungtohim。Lopezhadcometohimaboutthebusinessinthefirstinstance，butitwasnownecessarythatheshouldgotoLopez。Hewas，however，verycautious。HemanagedtohappentomeetLopezinthestreet，andintroducedthesubjectinhisownslap-dash，aerymanner，——theresultofwhichwas，thathehadgoneratherdeepintotwoorthreeAmericanminesbeforetheendofJuly。Buthehadalreadymadesomemoneyoutofthem，and，thoughhewouldfindhimselfsometimestremblingbeforehehadtakenhisdailyallowanceofportwineandbrandyandwater，stillhewasbuoyant，andhopefuloflivinginapark，withapalaceattheWestEnd，andaseatinParliament。Knowingalsoashedid，thathisfriendLopezwasintimatewiththeDuchessofOmnium，hehadmuchimmediatesatisfactionintheintimacywhichtheserelationscreated。Hewasgettinginthethinedgeofthewedge，andwouldcalculateashewenthometoPonder’sEndhowlongitmustbebeforehecouldaskhisfriendtoproposehimatsomeWestEndclub。OnonehalcyonsummereveningLopezhaddinedwithhimatPonder’sEnd，hadsmiledonMrsParkerandplayedwiththehopefullittleParkers。OnthatoccasionSextyhadassuredhiswifethatheregardedhisfriendshipwithFerdinandLopezasthemostfortunatecircumstanceofhislife。’Dobecareful，Sexty，’thepoorwomanhadsaid。ButParkerhadsimplytoldherthatsheunderstoodnothingaboutbusiness。OnthateveningLopezhadthoroughlyimbuedhimwiththeconvictionthatifyouwillonlysetyourmindthatway，itisquiteaseasytoamassalargefortuneastoearnasmallincome。
AboutaweekbeforethedepartureoftheWhartonstoHertfordshire，LopezincompliancewithMrsRoby’scounsels，calledatthechambersinStoneBuildings。Itisdifficulttosaythatyouwillnotseeaman，whenthemanisstandingjustontheothersideofanopendoor，——nor，inthiscase，wasMrWhartonquiteclearthathehadbetterdeclinetoseetheman。
Butwhilehewasdoubting，——atanyratebeforehehadresolvedupondenyinghispresence，——themanwasthere，insidehisroom。
MrWhartongotupfromhischair，hesitatedamoment，andthengavehishandtotheintruderinthathalf-unwilling，unsatisfactorymannerwhichmostofushaveexperiencedwhenshakinghandswithsomecold-blooded，ungenialacquaintance。
’Well，MrLopez，——whatcanIdoforyou？’hesaid，ashere-