'God bless you, Macassar Jones,', said he, 'God bless you!' "He too had once been young, had once loved, had once hoped and feared, and hoped again, and had once knelt at the feet of beauty.

But alas! he had knelt in vain.
"'May God be with you, Macassar Jones,' said he, as he walked out of the office door with his coloured bandana pressed to his eyes.
'May God be with you, and make your bed fruitful!' "'For the loveliest lady that ever was seen Is the lovely Lady Crinoline,' shouted the junior clerks, still dancing in mad glee round the happy lover.
"We have said that they all joined in this kindly congratulation to their young friend.

But no.

There was one spirit there whom envy had soured, one whom the happiness of another had made miserable, one whose heart beat in no unison with these jocund sounds.

As Macassar's joy was at its height, in the proud moment of his triumph, a hated voice struck his ears, and filled his soul with dismay once more.
"'There's two to one still on the Lying-in,' said this hateful Lucifer.
"And so Macassar was not all happy even yet, as he walked home to his lodgings.
"CHAPTER VI "We have but one other scene to record, but one short scene, and then our tale will be told and our task will be done.