all,
she had paid half her fortune for him, though not on his account; and not
only had he given no thanks, but had not even offered the usual courtesy
of saying good-bye. She had intended to have been silent on the subject,
and to have allowed him to discover it later. Now she said, as if it was
an after-thought:

'By the way, I did not pay those items you put down as "debts of honour";
you remember you gave the actual names and addresses.'

'Why not?' the question came from him involuntarily. The persecuting
lorgnon rose again:

'Because they were all bogus! Addresses, names, debts, honour! Good
afternoon!'

He went out flaming; free from debt, money debts; all but one. And some
other debts--not financial--whose magnitude was exemplified in the
grinding of his teeth.

After breakfast next morning he said to his father:

'By the way, you said you wished to speak to me, sir.' There was
something in the tone of his voice which called up antagonism.

'Then you have paid your debts?'

'All!'

'Good! Now there is something which it is necessary I should call your
attention to. Do you remember the day on which I handed you that
pleasing epistle from Messrs. Cavendish and Cecil?'

'Certainly, sir.'

'Didn't you send a telegram to them?'

'I did.'

'You wrote it yourself?'

'Certainly.'

'I had a courteous letter from the money-lenders, thanking me for my
exertions in securing the settlement of their claim, and saying that in
accordance with the request in my telegram they had held over proceedings
until the day named. I did not quite remember having sent any telegram
to them, or any letter either. So, being at a loss, I went to our
excellent postmaster and requested that he would verify the sending of a
telegram to London from me. He courteously looked up the file; which was
ready for transference to the G.P.O., and showed me the form. It was in
your handwriting.' He paused so long that Leonard presently said:

'Well!'

'It was signed Jasper Everard. Jasper Everard! my name; and yet it was
sent by my son, who was christened, if I remember rightly, Leonard!' Then
he went on, only in a cold acrid manner which made his son feel as though
a February wind was blowing on his back:

'I think there need not have been much trouble in learning to avoid
confusing our names. They are really dissimilar. Have you any
explanation to offer of the--the error, let us call it?' A bright
thought struc