an interest
in this family, to neglect its annals."

"I know, sir, that such has been the opinion here for more than half a
century; but it was founded in error. The facts are simply these. My
grandfather, a warm-hearted but impetuous young man, struck an older
lieutenant, when ashore and on duty, in one of the West India Islands.
The penalty was death; but, neither the party injured nor the commander
of the vessel, wished to push matters to extremity, and the offender was
advised to absent himself from the ship, at the moment of sailing. The
injured party was induced to take this course, as in a previous quarrel,
my grandfather had received his fire, without returning it; frankly
admitting his fault. The ship did sail without Mr. Gregory Wychecombe,
and was lost, every soul on board perishing. My grandfather passed into
Virginia, where he remained a twelvemonth, suppressing his story, lest
its narration might lead to military punishment. Love next sealed his
future fate. He married a woman of fortune, and though his history was
well known in his own retired circle, it never spread beyond it. No one
supposed him near the succession, and there was no motive for stating
the fact, on account of his interests. Once he wrote to Sir Wycherly,
but he suppressed the letter, as likely to give more pain than pleasure.
That letter I now have, and in his own hand-writing. I have also his
commission, and all the other proofs of identity that such a person
would be apt to possess. They are as complete as any court in
Christendom would be likely to require, for he never felt a necessity
for changing his name. He has been dead but two years, and previously to
dying he saw that every document necessary to establish my claim, should
a moment for enforcing it ever arrive, was put in such a legal form as
to admit of no cavilling. He outlived my own father, but none of us
thought there was any motive for presenting ourselves, as all believed
that the sons of Baron Wychecombe were legitimate. I can only say, sir,
that I have complete legal evidence that I am heir at law of Gregory,
the younger brother of the late Sir Wycherly Wychecombe. Whether the
fact will give me any rights here, you best can say."

"It will make you heir of entail to this estate, master of this house,
and of most of what it contains, and the present baronet. You have only
to prove what you say, to defeat every provision of this will, with the
exception of that which re