"Go ahead, my boy; you have my good wishes," he said.

"But it is really a pity you don't understand me, that you don't know just what I am doing." "Oh," said Newman, laughing, "don't do anything wrong.

Leave me to myself, rather, or defy me, out and out.

I wouldn't lay any load on your conscience." Bellegarde sprang up again; he was evidently excited; there was a warmer spark even than usual in his eye.

"You never will understand--you never will know," he said; "and if you succeed, and I turn out to have helped you, you will never be grateful, not as I shall deserve you should be.
You will be an excellent fellow always, but you will not be grateful.
But it doesn't matter, for I shall get my own fun out of it." And he broke into an extravagant laugh.