Then
he cursed the man Marks, whose political schemes would betray the
valuable secret, and make it certain that none of that more
substantial assistance promised by Quarrier would ever be given. And
yet, it was not disagreeable to picture Quarrier's rage when he
found that the bribe had been expended to no purpose. If he had felt
animosity against the wealthy man before meeting him face to face,
he now regarded him with a fiercer malevolence. It was hard to
relinquish Lilian, and harder still to have no means of revenging
himself upon her and her pretended husband. Humiliated by
consciousness of the base part he had played, he wished it in his
power to inflict upon them some signal calamity.
On the next day, when he was newly arrayed from head to foot, and
jingled loose sovereigns in his pocket, this tumult of feelings
possessed him even more strongly. Added to his other provocations
was the uncertainty whether Marks had yet taken action. Save by
returning to Polterham, he knew not how to learn what was happening
there. To-morrow a Polterham newspaper would be published; he must
wait for that source of intelligence. Going to a news-agent's, he
discovered the name of the journal, and at once posted an order for
a copy to be sent to him.
In the meantime, he was disposed to taste some of the advantages of
opulence.
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