ing evening and night?"

"It was."

"Mr. Mainwaring," said Mr. Sutherland, with marked emphasis, "please
state whether you mentioned to Hugh Mainwaring the discovery of the
will, or had any conversation with him relating thereto."

"I made no mention of the matter to him whatever. Except for a few
moments, immediately upon his return, I did not see him alone until
about midnight, when he appeared fatigued, and I would not introduce
the subject at a time so inopportune."

After a slight pause, Mr. Sutherland continued. "You claim to be
the lawful son of the Harold Scott Mainwaring mentioned in this will,
and as such the lawful heir, under its terms and conditions, of the
Mainwaring property?"

"I do."

"Has it not been generally understood among those supposed to have
knowledge of the facts in the case that Harold Scott Mainwaring, at
the time of his death, had no living child?"

"That has been the general understanding."

"Will you explain how the fact of your existence has been kept
concealed all these years?"

The silence following the attorney's question was so deep as to be
oppressive until broken by the answer of the witness, clear, cold,
and penetrating to the remotest corner of the crowded room.

"Within an hour from my birth, a dead child was substituted in my
place, and I was secretly given by my father into the keeping of
trusted friends, with instructions that until I had nearly attained
my majority I was not even to know of his existence, or of the
relationship existing between us."

"Mr. Mainwaring," said the attorney, "are you willing to state the
reasons for such an extraordinary proceeding on his part?"

For the first time the impassive bearing and the calm, even tones
of the witness gave way; the smouldering fire in his dark eyes burst
forth, as with impassioned utterance and voice vibrating with emotion,
he replied,--

"It was done because of sorrow, more bitter than death, in his own
heart and home, of which he wished me to know nothing until I had
reached the years of manhood and could understand the nature of his
wrongs; it was done that I should be forever barred from all
association with, or knowledge of, the base, false-hearted woman who
bore his name only to dishonor it,--who, though she had given me;
birth, yet believed me dead,--that I might live as ignorant of her
existence as she of mine; it was done because of his love for his
only child, a love for which I would to-day