Salter, relapsing to his coffee.

"He didn't hear what you said, Lot," exclaimed Calvin. "The old man has
to guess at what we halloo at him."

"Have you appraised the estate of the late William Zane?" asked the
minister, with his bold pulpit voice, which Salter could hear easily.

"Yes," replied the deaf guest. "It comes out strong. It is worth, clear
of everything and not including doubtful credits, one hundred and eighty
thousand dollars."

"That is the largest estate in Kensington," exclaimed the clergyman.

"I shall release it all within one week to Miss Agnes," said Duff
Salter. "You are too old, Mr. Van de Lear, to manage it. I have finished
my work as co-executor with you. The third executor is Miss Wilt. With
the estate in her hands she will change the tone of public opinion in
Kensington, perhaps, and the fugitive heir must return or receive no
money from the woman he has injured!"

"I am entirely of your opinion," said Reverend Mr. Van de Lear. "Agnes
was independent before; this will make her powerful, and she needs all
the power she can get to meet this insensate suburban opinion. When I
was a young man, commencing to minister here, I had rivals enough, and
deeply sympathize with those who must defend themselves against the
embattled gossip of a suburban society."

Mrs. Knox Van de Lear opened and closed her eyes with a saintly sort of
resignation.

"I am glad for Agnes," she said. "But I fear the courts will not allow
her, suspected as she is, to have the custody of so much wealth that has
descended to her through the misfortunes of others, if not by crimes."

"You are right, Lot," said Calvin. "Her little game may be to get a
husband as soon as she can, who will resist a trustee's appointment by
the courts."

"Can _she_ get a husband, Cal?"

"Oh, yes! She's lightning! There's old Salter, rich as a Jew. She's
smart enough to capture him and add all he has to all that was coming to
Andrew Zane."

Mr. Salter drew up his napkin and sneezed into it a soft articulation of
"Jericho! Jericho!"

"Cal, don't you think you have some chance there yet?" asked Knox Van
de Lear. "I hoped you would have won Aggy long ago. It's a better show
than I ever had. You see I have to be at work at six o'clock, winter and
summer, and stay at the bookbindery all day long, and so it goes the
year round."

"Indeed, it is so!" exclaimed the hostess, slowly shutting down her
silken lids of pink. "My poor husband goes