fectively. And that's who Harris
is."

For some minutes Andrew studied the letter in silence. He felt like a
heavy-weight boxer in the grip of a professor of Ju-Jitsu. What use was
a lifelong apprenticeship to common sense, respectability, and the law
of Scotland, when it came to wrestling with a juggler of this kind? he
asked himself bitterly. One ought to have led a life of crime! The
longer he looked at the preposterous epistle, the more diabolical did
it appear. At last he spoke--

"This is an impudent forgery."

"There are some hundreds of specimens of your father's hand to compare
it with," said Heriot calmly; "I am perfectly willing to let any expert
judge whether it's genuine or not."

The heavy-weight tried another wriggle.

"This is the letter of a lunatic. I have a certificate to prove it. I
can call Dr. Downie to prove it."

"You needn't go to so much trouble. You'll find that plot against my
grandfather's liberty fully described in some of the letters. The point
that will be put to you by the cross-examining Counsel is, if you
thought him off his chump, why did you only pretend to put him in an
asylum?"

"I did put him," snapped Andrew.

Heriot rose and rang the bell.

"What's that for?" asked Andrew; but he was only answered by a smile.

"Show up the other two gentlemen," said Heriot.

The discreet butler glanced at his master, but he was too dumbfounded to
give any indication of his pleasure one way or the other.

A minute later, Frank and Lucas entered. They nodded coolly, but Andrew
only stared.

"Now, Lucas, dear boy," said Heriot genially, "tell this old cockalorum
who you saw off on a steamer for South America."

Lucas smiled grimly at his brother-in-law to be.

"Heriot Walkingshaw," he replied.

"Swear to it?" smiled Heriot.

Lucas nodded, his blue eyes glittering on Andrew all the time; and there
followed a pause in the conversation.

"What do you propose to do?" asked Andrew.

"Make you disgorge, old cock," said Heriot.

"Disgorge what?"

"Every single penny you inherited!"

Andrew made a last convulsive struggle.

"I'll not do it!"

"In that case, the following interesting facts will immediately be made
public: that you lied when you said your father was in an asylum, and
lied again when you said he was dead; that he suffered indescribable
agonies in consequence of your ill-treatment; that he is either alive at
this moment or died a death that will bring tears to