e was exasperated
at Francis' neglect, had made her overlook the want of proof. She had
now fatally injured herself with Francis, with a very faint chance of
success with the Melvilles. She therefore repeated nervously, "Look
over the old newspapers--the mother must have known the
difference--there must have been some inquiry about it that would prove
my statement, which is all true, every word of it, as I hope for
salvation."

"Yes, that might be of some use; that might be seen to," said Brandon,
doubtfully. "Our data are meagre enough. Your mother is dead, I
suppose, and she is the only person besides yourself who knew of the
crime you both committed."

"She is dead and gone a dozen years ago, and it was her as committed
the crime, as you call it, and not me. I won't answer for it to nobody."

"Well, we must make inquiry in the house, though I fear that is
hopeless, and in the newspapers. If you had had the sense to have got
the mother's name, we might advertise in America; but I suppose you
thought then that the less you knew about it the better. Though you
cannot expect the thousand pounds----"

"But you promised it," said Mrs. Peck. "I'll say nothing more, unless I
can get something first. You have basely deceived me. I never heard of
a more scoundrelly action than getting me to tell you all that old
story, and put myself into such a wrong box, on the pretence that I was
to get a thousand pounds, and now you say that what you signed is waste
paper. I'll get my own statement from you back again, before you leave
this," and Mrs. Peck, with eyes of fury, planted herself at the back of
the door. The next thing you'll do will be go and give information, I
fancy.

"Be cool, Mrs. Peck; I do not mean to injure you. As I said, though
there is no chance of our depriving Mr. Hogarth of property left to him
so clearly as this, I think I may take it upon me to say, as his
friend----"

"His friend!" interrupted Mrs Peck. "Oh, how you have deceived me! And
you call yourself a gentleman, I suppose; and serve an old woman like
that."

"Yes; as his friend," said Brandon, firmly, "I think I may say that he
would be disposed to reward you, if you can prove that you are not his
mother. I do not hesitate to say that he would give you five hundred
pounds for such information as would hold in a court of law that he is
not your son."

Mrs. Peck brightened up a little at this offer, though she could
scarcely imagine any valid re