Nor could I bring my wife to such a home as this." "The time came when you left that poor creature without any home," said the old man sternly.
"Necessity has no law, my dear father.

You may imagine that my life, without a profession and without any reliable resources, has been rather precarious.

When I seemed to have acted worst, I have been only the slave of circumstances." "Indeed! and have you no pity for the fate of your wife, no interest in the life of your only child ?" "My wife was a poor helpless creature, who contrived to make my life wretched," Mr.Nowell, alias Percival, answered coolly.

"I gave her every sixpence I possessed when I sent her home to England; but luck went dead against me for a long time after that, and I could neither send her money nor go to her.

When I heard of her death, I heard in an indirect way that my child had been adopted by some old fool of a half-pay officer; and I was naturally glad of an accident which relieved me of a heavy incubus.
An opportunity occurred about the same time of my entering on a tolerably remunerative career as agent for some Belgian ironworks in America; and I had no option but to close with the offer at once or lose the chance altogether.