An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth-- That, as I take it, is Bible-truth.
You have robbed me of my good name;
I will bring you to want and shame.
Both are wicked, so both shall fall--
God in His Heaven shall judge of it all.
 
 
Mrs. Belswin brought it all on herself. She would play with fire, and although a life-long experience had taught her how dangerous was that pastime, she nevertheless indulged in it, even at the risk of burning her fingers. Indeed, so many times had she rushed into danger in her fierce, way, and so many times had she emerged by sheer good luck, that she became reckless in her daring, and at last the happened--she went too far.
 
Everything was now progressing , both with herself and with those she loved. Kaituna had received an unexpected access of fortune, so that the difficulties of her marriage with Archie Maxwell were now removed by the power of gold; and Mrs. Belswin herself, living constantly with her darling, had now nothing left to wish for.
 
Yes! there was one thing she desired, and that was to see Silas Oates, in order to him with the news of her good fortune. It was sheer devilry made her do this, as she cared nothing for her old lover; but some fiend having whispered in her ear that good fortune to her would be and wormwood to the American, she one day went straight to the Langham Hotel, in order to enjoy her triumph. Luckily for himself, Oates was absent in Paris at the time, where he had gone on a matter of business; but on his return he found Mrs. Belswin's card, and naturally enough being ignorant of her real object in paying him a visit, thought she had called for the sole purpose of getting more money out of him.
 
Silas Oates, in a most unjust fashion, did not blame his quondam lady-love for her , knowing her real nature too well to expect anything from her; but he blamed Mr. Dombrain for not keeping his promise, and making Mrs. Belswin stop her importunities.
 
The lady herself had forgotten Mr. Dombrain and his threats, or if she did remember them it was with a contemptuous , as she thought in her own heart that he could do nothing to harm her. But if Mrs. Belswin thus proved forgetful of the , Silas Oates did not. Mr. Oates was genuinely angry at the way Dombrain permitted Mrs. Belswin to annoy him, so, as the unfortunate lawyer had omitted to fulfil his promise of as watch-dog, the American to punish him as he had threatened for his .
 
Silas went about the affair in a way peculiarly his own, and in a very few days Mr. Dombrain received a letter demanding an explanation of certain allegations concerning his past made against him by an American gentleman. The unfortunate man was quite at the suddenness of his ; nor was he comforted when a spiteful note arrived from Silas, which stated that he had revealed everything about the convict Damberton to the Law Society, as a punishment for the negligence of the lawyer Dombrain. Of course the poor could not defend himself, although he made a feeble attempt to do so; and the consequence of Mrs. Belswin's and Mr. Oates's letter was, that Alfred Dombrain of London, Solicitor, was struck off the rolls, as not fit to have his name thereon.
 
It was truly a terrible thing to happen to this man, who, not having saved much money, now found himself reduced from an profession, which gained him a , to a disgraceful position and absolute beggary. The loss of his money troubled him but little, the loss of his name a great deal, for having once more the of his fellow-men by years of exemplary life, he felt keenly the bitterness of being reduced to the same position he had occupied years before. He tried every means in his power to escape the disgrace, but the Law Society were , and Dombrain, lawyer, once more became that of the past--Damberton, outcast.
 
Neither lawyer nor outcast, however, were satisfied to accept this crushing blow without making some return thereto; and when Mr. Dombrain found that all his ideas of respectability were at an end, he turned round venomously to punish Mrs. Belswin, whom he considered to be the main cause of his unmerited disgrace. He did not write to her, he did not see her, he did not even mention her name to a soul, but he went straight to the nearest police , told his story of what had taken place at Thornstream on that fatal night, and, as a result, obtained a warrant of arrest against Mrs. Belswin for the murder of Sir Rupert Pethram. This being done, he departed, in company with two detectives, to feast his eyes on the disgrace of this woman, who had cost him his hardly earned position; and for the first time for many days he laughed--not a pleasant laugh, but a nasty, , laugh, which ill to the liberty and peace of mind of Jezebel Manners, Lady Pethram, alias Mrs. Belswin. In spite of the force of the whole matter, there was something in the situation; for Silas Oates wronged by Mrs. Belswin, had revenged himself upon Mr. Dombrain; and Mr. Dombrain wronged by Silas Oates, had revenged himself upon Mrs. Belswin. It was a three-cornered , to speak paradoxically, in which every one shot at every one else, but the only person of the three principals who came off scot-free was the American, and he appreciated the grim of the situation.
 
Meanwhile Mrs. Belswin, quite how dearly her attempt to see Oates had cost her, was seated in company with Kaituna and Archie Maxwell at afternoon tea, and the trio were talking about the Pole Star shares, the expected arrival of Toby Clendon, and, of course, about the approaching marriages.
 
"And you will be happy, Kaituna," said Mrs. Belswin, looking wistfully at her daughter--the daughter whom she dare not acknowledge.
 
Kaituna caught hold of Archie's hand, with a quick flush and a look of delight in her large black eyes.
 
"Yes, perfectly happy," she replied, smiling. "We are going to be the Darby and Joan of romance, are we not, Archie?"
 
"I trust so, dear; but Darby and Joan! Oh, what a comparison. No! Kaituna we will be--let me think--we will be like Lord Lovel and Lady Nancy Bell in the old ."
 
"Fie, that is a worse comparison than mine! They were unhappy, and if a red rose and a briar did grow out of their respective graves, I don't know that such a miracle proves your case."
 
"Well, you certainly ought to be happy," said Mrs. Belswin, with a quick sigh, as she realised how soon s............