The coiner may be jolly in his hiding-place among his
chosen band of brother coiners. But for the murderer there is no such
thing as human sympathy; and, when the blood of Nancy dyes his cruel
hand, Bill Sykes may thank God if he has a dog that will follow him to
his wretched end, for from mankind he can hope nothing.
Mr. Sheldon did not contemplate his position from any sentimental point
of view; but he told himself that to be suspected of having poisoned his
friend, and to be accused of poisoning, or attempting to poison, his
daughter, would be ruin--ruin social and commercial, ruin complete and
irretrievable.
And having faced one of these dread armed antagonists, he passed on to
another shadowy enemy.
What if Charlotte recovered, and he escaped the taint of uttered
suspicion--for Dr. Jedd's private opinion he cared very little--what
then?
Then the grim antagonist lifted his visor, and showed him the countenance
of Commercial Disgrace.
Unless within the next few weeks he could command from eight to ten
thousand pounds, his disgrace as a member of the Stock Exchange was
inevitable. Charlotte's death would give him the means of raising as much
upon the policies of assurance obtained by her, and which, by the terms
of her will, he would inherit. The life-insurance people might be
somewhat slow to settle his claims; but he had all possible facilities
for the raising of money upon any tangible security, and he could count
upon immediate cash, in the event of Charlotte's death.
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