a gentleman's son. Come, you shall hear my story. My father was
well-born, but married a maid-servant when he was at college; his family
disowned him, and left him to starve. He died in the struggle against a
poverty he was not brought up to, and my dam went into service again;
became housekeeper to an old bachelor--sent me to school--but mother had
a family by the old bachelor, and I was taken from school and put to
trade. All hated me--for I was ugly; damn them! Mother cut me--I
wanted money--robbed the old bachelor--was sent to gaol, and learned
there a lesson or two how to rob better in future. Mother died,--I was
adrift on the world. The world was my foe--could not make it up with
the world, so we went to war;--you understand, old boy? Married a poor
woman and pretty;--wife made me jealous--had learned to suspect every
one. Alice born--did not believe her mine: not like me--perhaps a
gentleman's child. I hate--I loathe gentlemen. Got drunk one
night--kicked my wife in the stomach three weeks after her confinement.
Wife died--tried for my life--got off. Went to another county--having
had a sort of education, and being sharp eno', got work as a mechanic.
Hated work just as I hated gentlemen--for was I not by blood a
gentleman? There was the curse. Alice grew up; never looked on her as
my flesh and blood. Her mother was a w----! Why should not /she/ be
one? There, that's enough. Plenty of excuse, I think, for all I have
ever done. Curse the world--curse the rich--curse the handsome--curse
--curse all!"

"You have been a very foolish man," said the banker; "and seem to me to
have had very good cards, if you had known how to play them. However,
that is your lookout. It is not yet too late to repent; age is creeping
on you.--Man, there is another world."

The banker said the last words with a tone of solemn and even dignified