“Life at any price!” he answered, in his old accents, “yet you put it in a dreary light before me.  It hardly seems worth while to buy such an existence, especially with that wife of mine downstairs, who cannot endure the country, and is only a companion for a town-life.  Now, if it had been Olivia—­you could imagine life in the country endurable with Olivia?”

What could I answer to such a question, which ran through me like an electric shock?  A brilliant phantasmagoria flashed across my brain—­a house in Guernsey with Olivia in it—­sunshine—­flowers—­the singing of birds—­the music of the sea—­the pure, exhilarating atmosphere.  It had vanished into a dead blank before I opened my mouth, though probably a moment’s silence had not intervened.  Foster’s lips were curled into a mocking smile.

“There would be more chance for you now,” I said, “if you could have better air than this.”

“How can I?” he asked.

“Be frank with me,” I answered, “and tell me what your means are.  It would be worth your while to spend your last farthing upon this chance.”

“Is it not enough to make a man mad,” he said, “to know there are thousands lying in the bank in his wife’s name, and he cannot touch a penny of it?  It is life itself to me; yet I may die like a dog in this hole for the want of it.  My death will lie at Olivia’s door, curse her!”

He fell back upon his pillows, with a groan as heavy and deep as ever came from the heart of a wretch perishing from sheer want.  I could not choose but feel some pity for him; but this was an opportunity I must not miss.

“It is of no use to curse her,” I said; “come, Foster, let us talk over this matter quietly and reasonably.  If Olivia be alive, as I cannot help hoping she is, your wisest course would be to come to some mutual agreement, which-would release you both from your present difficulties; for you must recollect she is as penniless as yourself.  Let me speak to you as if I were her brother.  Of this one thing you may be quite certain, she will never consent to return to you; and in that I will aid her to the utmost of my power.  But there is no reason why you should not have a good share of the property, which she would gladly relinquish on condition that you left her alone.  Now just listen carefully.  I think there would be small difficulty, if we set about it, in proving that you were guilty against her with your present wife; and in that case she could claim a divorce absolutely, and her property would remain her own.  Your second marriage with the same person would set her free from you altogether.”

“You could prove nothing.” he replied, fiercely, “and my second marriage is covered by the documents I could produce.”

“Which are forged,” I said, calmly; “we will find out by whom.  You are in a net of your own making.  But we do not wish to push this question to a legal issue.  Let us come to some arrangement.  Olivia will consent to any terms I agree to.”