Truth to tell, I had taken a strong dislike to her husband, with his sleek confidence and cold-blooded selfishness.

In addition, I was quite sure that there was some other fell reason why he wished to divorce her--probably he had another marriage in contemplation, even if he had not admitted it.
"I wish we could make the beggar do his own dirty work," I exclaimed.
"But what does he pay us for ?" inquired Gottlieb innocently.

"Quib, just think of the money!" I had, in fact, been thinking of the money, and it looked very good to me.

Since my days in Haight & Foster's law office, a great, great change had come in my manner of life; and, though my friends to a great extent remained among the theatrical and sporting class to which I had received my first introduction on coming to New York, I now occupied a large brick house with stone trimmings in Washington Square, where I entertained in truly luxurious fashion.
I had a French cook and an English butler, and drove a pair of trotters that were second to none except those of William H.
Vanderbilt, with whom I had many a fast brush on the speedways.
Though I had never allowed myself to be caught in the net of matrimony, I had many friends among the fair sex, particularly among those who graced the footlights; and some of my evening parties did not break up until dawn was glinting over the roofs of the respectable mansions round about me.

It was a gay life, but it cost money--almost more money than I could make; and my share in the thirty-five thousand dollars offered by our friend Dillingham would go a long way to keeping up my establishment for another year.