BY DEVIOUS WAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10347, 23 January 1897, Page 3 (Supplement)

BY DEVIOUS WAYS.

BY CHARLES GAKVICE, Author of " Just a Girl," " Queen Kate," In Cupid's Chains," "The Outcast

CHAPTER XXVI. FoTliE said it quite pleasantly, and by no means as if he were proud of his astuteness, and Levison laughed. " You're sharp, Mr. Foyle—sharp. Well, I don't like you none the less. I'd rather have to do business with a kna—with a clever man than a fool." " I feel honoured," said Foyle. "Bub touching this business. Of course, I don't oxpoct you to go oub alone, and I've gob a man who's roady to go with you, and —and—" "Do the dirty work?" put in Foyle, languidly. Levison nodded. "Yes, bhat'sh just it. What a capital fellow you are for the righb word, Mr. Foyle! And he's a man as won'b stick at much." Ho lowered Ins voice. "I've

employed him once or twico before, and always found him—shatisfactory."

Foylo nodded. Though ho might not think fit to accept Lovison's offer, it was as well to know all about it. "You can rely on him. He ain't squeamish, and if ib comes to a push, why, he ain'o gob any ridiculous scruples!)." " A desperado," said Foyle, coolly. "Ho would be useful, I daresay. Who is he? Do I know him ?" Levieon lowered his voice again. " Hish name'eh Tusker. He's been unfortunate, pore fellow! I don'b know whether you remember that Belgian bunk business. Where the bank messenger was robbed of the bullion ho was bringin' overt" Foyle thought for a moment. "I think I do. He was chloroformed and gagged in his cabin and robbed." " Thut'sh it," eaid Levison, leaning hick oasefully and sipping his champagne. " The pore young man was so knocked about that they thought he'd kick the bucket. Which would have been a bad business for Tusker, for he'd have got tho long drop instead of seven years. Of course ho was innoconb. Ho only happened to be ciuryin' tho bag down the gangway ; he'd mistook it for his own, which, strange to say, was exactly similar."

■ Foyle nodded languidly, " Singular coincidence," he said. " Unfortunate mietako!" " Wasn't it," said Mr, Levison, withoub moving a muselo. " Well, Tusker gob sevon yoars, and when lie came out I happonod to meet) him, an' takin , pity on 'itn, I give him some work now and ngen." "What sorb of work?" inquired Foyle, but very indifferontly. Mr, Levison hesitabod for the space of a moment, or two. "Oh, all kinds. He's very useful in findin' oub things!) as you want to know." " A sorb of spy ?" said Foylo. " Well, you can call 'im what you like," responded Mr. Lovison, with engaging candour. "Bub he's up bo more than that. Ho's a man you can depend upon equally in a quiet job or in a iough-or-tnmble. Hush! I can hear him coining up tho stairs. Of course, inuin's the word aboub i the bank business."

Foylo smiled. "1 never allude to unpleasant incidents in a man's oaroor," he said, The Jew boy ushered in the visitor. Ho was a littlo man, with small bhiek eyes and a big moustache, Foyle saw at a,glance that, though the man was small, he was well mado, and sinewy and tightly strung. He was earofully and quiotly dressed—in marked contrast to the shiny splendour of his patron and employer—and had rather a gentlemanly appearance nnd mannor. He shot a sharp glance at Foyle, but bnly a glance, and shook hands with Mr. Levison with marked composure and solf-possession. " This is Mr. Tusker, Mr. Foylo," Levieon said. "I was goin' to tell you that ho was comin', when I 'eard his step on the stairs. This is Mr. Foyle, Tusker, a gentleman as I want you to know." Tusker, with n longer glance at Foyle's impassive face, bowed and took a seat. " Fill your gkssh and pash the bottle," exhorted Mr. Lovison, gonially. "Not a bad vintage, eh; Tuskor? Genuine 18S4; Mr. Foylo, fill up, and we'll get to business at once. I've been telling Mr. Foyje about our little spec, Tuskor, and I'm 'oping that I shall persuade 'im to join us. If hedoesh, I toll him ho'll havo a man, in you, who knows the ropoah ovor there, and who'll go through with the business like a practical man."

Tusker nodded, and eyed Foyle covertly, as Levison wont into dotails of the scheme which lie had sketched in the saloon ab the

Duke's. " Of course," bo wound up, " you may find that tho gold'* there. In fact nothing'sh more likely. There'eh gold all over Australia, ain't thorc, Mr. Tusker J" Mr. Tusker nodded.

" Yes," ho said; " nearly all ovor. But that doesn't signify." Mr. Lovison coughed. " What you want is the report and a description of the place, And it may be necessary to do a little work ,on it—to eink a shaft." " Oh, you only want to dig a hole," pub in Mr. Levieon, expostulatingly. " i'ou don'b want to run to any expense." Tuskor ehook his head rather dissentingly. " That used to do in the old times," he said; "but tho public like to have a show for their monoy. Send 'em over a photograph of a kind of shaft, with heaps of Btones and muck, and half a dozen men in their shirtsleeves standing on 'em, and they're ready ;o believe in the thing and take shares." Mr. Levieon nodded with generous selfabnegation, "Just as you like," he said. "Id sha'n'o be said that I spoiled the thing just for the sake of a pound or two." " And Mr. Foyle and I are going alone f' said Tusker, interrogatively. Levison nodded. " Two's enough, ain't it?" Tuakor looked doubtful. "Three's better," he said, reflectively. Foylo smiled as if lie understood, and Tusker smiled in response. "Just so, Mr. Foylo. If one plays false, the other fellow's got a man to help him. Besides, if there's only two, and ono get's aick or put out of the way, the other fellow is left all alone." " I soe," said Foyle. " And you have a third man to propose, Mr. Tuskor?" Tusker was nob ab all offended by this straight shot. ".Woli,l have," he said, "or I had; bub I can't find him." "Who is it Tasked Levison, "Anyone I know ?" Tueker did nob colour, but he looked down in a strange way and cleared his throat. " Ib was the man who was wiih me in the bank business," he said, coolly. " What business was that?" asked Foyle, innocently. "Never mind; I'll tell yon some other time, or Mr. Tuskor will," eaid Levison. "It'sh of no consequence. What's the man's name, Tusker ?" "Fawsett," said Tuekor. "Ah, yes; I remember," said Mr. 'Levison, softly. "A very decent fellow. He—er—left the country same time as you did, didn't he?" • ' ■ ' " He did," said Tusker, quite unabaebed. " Bub he came back, and I've seen him since once or twice. He'd be just the man for us. He's cool, and to be depended on, and I've a notion that/ he's been in tho country before—l mean Australia." i " If so, he'd be very useful," said Levison. "Sure you can't find him?" -■. . Tueker reflected. •/«,;. r " I don!b know; I might try. I saw him in London the keb timo, but only for a minute or two. In facjb, ha fought rattier

shy of me." It was evident that there was no false ide about Mr. Tusker. " I fancy he'd got into something and was settling down; for, as it happened, I had a little thing in hand, and I did offer him a share in it, but ho didn't catch on. In fact, as I say. he fought shy." ' " Ah, reformed character I" said Mr.

Levison, with a grin. " Moat likely gob a job of his own in hand, and too busy, eh, Tuaker ?"

" Probably," said Tusker, absently. He seemed to be thinking, for, afber a pause, he said: "I've half an idea I could put my hand upon him. He was rather a etrango fish; one of those fellows who hark back upon the past, don'b you know, Mr. Levison ?" Levison nodded. Foyle was scarcely listening. He lighted a fresh cigarette, and leaned back, and half closed hi 3 oyes. " What'sh makes yon think you can put your 'and on ! im !'' asked I.evison. " Open another bottle, will you. Tusker. You'll find ib it in the usual place, and thore'sh more in the cellar below." " Well, Fawsett was a married man,' , said Tusker, as he opened the champagne " be'd married a girl in the country. A nico kind of woman, by his account, but too strait-laced, I expsco. Anyhow, they didn't get on, and he cut and run. ilarriago is a mistake, I think." " You're riffht, my boy, you're right I" said Mr. Lovison, unctuously. " Never give any woman the righb to half your makings, for that'eh whab it amounts to, eh, Tusker?" Mr. Tusker nodded. " Fawsett left her soon after they were married ; in facb, he didn't know that she'd gob a child until ho came out of pris—until he camo back to England." He made the correction quite coolly and was not at all discomposed by the slip. "It's my idea he'd a hankering to go back to her. Perhaps he wanted to see the kid—kind of paternal feeling-, don't you know ? Can't say that I understand ib myself, bub 3ome fellows feel that way." Air. Levison nodded. "Very likely he had," ho remarked. "Some men are such fools, aren't blioy? What's tho name of the place, Tusker? You mighb run down and see." " Ib's rather a long run," said Tusker. " It's in Ireland. She was an Irish girl. I can't think of tho name of the place for a moment." " There's a map of Ireland in the next room," suggested Levison.

•Tusker shook Iris head and pondered for a while as he sipped his wino, then he looked up. "I've gob ib, or part of it. It's Marl— Mori—something or other. Ah, yes—iJariehannon." Foyle sab up suddenly at mention of Marishannon, then, under the protence that ho wanted his glass, reached for it and drank slowly. " A curious name," ho eaid, languidly, nnd with a smothered yawn, " Where is it?"

"I think—l'm nob sure—that's in Kerry," said Tusker. " I can soon find out. Of

course, the woman may have left the place Inn" ago—very likely has; bufc when Fawßolit talked about her to me, she was living there. A wild, outlandish place, with a big lake, ho used to describe it. I used to fancy ho'd been there on the sly and without lotting her know." " And what's her name ?" ho asked, as if ib were quifco a mabter of course that Fawsett should bo an alias. Foylo flung his cigiuotte into the fireplace, to the eminent risk of the cheap and gaudy ornament, and selecting anothor from his case, lighted it with his back to the other men. Tusker thought for a moment. " I ought to remember," he said; " for I'm rather good at names." " Yesh, it's useful, useful," commented Mr. Levison. " Never forget a name myself." " It's in one syllable, and begins with N," mused Tusker. " North? Nash?' "Nobbs?" suggested Mr. Levison, pleasantly. " No. Noil I Yes, Neil's the name." The cigarette fell from Foyle's hand, and he kicked ib into tho grato as he turned to

" These cigarettes of yours are infernally iad, Lovison," ho said. " I beg your pardon or interrupting, Mr. Tusker. Have you ,ny others " Bad ? Well, I "over hoard thnli said of 3in before. And I give no ond of a price, 00. But there'sh some other'shsomowhoro. [We in that box. Help yourself."_ Foyle got a fresh one and lighted it) with lis face turned toward them. He looked oo listless and bored for words. " If I could get Fawsett I'd answer for ,he proper working of (ho thing—with all leference to Mr. Foyle," said Tusker. "Very well," said Levison. "Take a ■un over to this Mnri—whatever it is, and ;ry and find 'im, Not going, Foyle?" for Foyle had reached for his hat. Foylo nodded and shook hands with both men. " You'll think ib over, Foyle >" asked Levison, in a thick whisper, as he followed him outside the door. " Yes," said Foyle, with a most pronounced drawl, " I'll think it over." Foyle walked home to his rooms in Pontstreet, his lips curved with a peculiar smile, his eyes gleaming now and again with an expression of sardonic satisfaction and anticipation. The beautiful young girl who had just taken the world by storm, who would, to a certain extent, be famous to-morrow morning, when the newspapers were laid on the breakfast-tables, who was just launching on a career of success and triumph, was the daughter of an ex-convict. He smiled as he thought how wonderfully accident or Fate was assisting him. It he had nob dined with Levison, if ho had definitely refused to join him in this Australian venture, if he had declined oven to go home with him, ho would not have met the -man Tusker, nor hoard the story of Nora's parentage. " The daughter of a convict I" he said to himself, as he opened the street door with his latch-key and went up in his noiseless way to the artistic room which seemed more than usually refined and delightful after Levison'a garish "droriu'-room." "In a few weeks, months, she will be at the top of the hill, with wealth at her command, with friends, admirers, toadies nil round her. With something more than—for the girl is a lady—Heaven knows why and how! —and society with a capital S, will receive her and pet her. And all the time she will be tho daughter of an ex-convict. And I know hor secret!" He laughed softly as ha exchanged his dress coab for a smoking-jacUeb of purple velvet, and lighted the everlasting cigarette. The man Wed power, power over men; but better still power over women. And he had this girl, whose beauty men were already raving about at the clubs, whose talent, genius, the newspapers would gush over in the morning, in his power. "I must go slowly and cautiously," he murmured, with his eyes half closed, his long white hands caressing his moustacho. "I must watch and wait, Ib won't do to frighten her, to let her suspect that I know —what she does not know herself, I'll be sworn How beautiful sho is 1" He laughed, and his eyes gleamed. " To-night as I sat and watched her, I had half made up mind to marry her. There will be no need for that now, my dear, I think. Yes, I shall have her at; my feet), with all her fame and her money; just my slave 1 But I must be cautious. He leaned back and closed his eyes, a soft smile on his lips, as if ho were enjoying the mental vision his murmured words called up. [To be continued on Wednesday next.]