himself as the miser's heir. "Take him
at his word."

"What do you want with the child?" said Mark, turning to his brother.
"Have you not a son of your own?"

"I have--a handsome clever little fellow. This nephew of mine greatly
resembles him."

"He cannot be more like you than this child is, whom his mother dared to
call mine. For my own part I never have, nor ever shall, consider him as
such."

"Brother! brother! you cannot, dare not, insinuate aught against the
honor of your wife!" and Algernon sprang from his seat, his cheeks
burning with anger.

"Sit down, sit down," said the miser coldly; "I do not mean to quarrel
with you on that score. In one sense of the word she was faithful. I
gave her no opportunity of being otherwise. But her heart"--and his dark
eye emitted an unnatural blaze of light--"her heart was false to me, or
that boy could not have resembled you in every feature."

"These things happen every day," said Algernon. "Children often resemble
their grandfathers and uncles more than they do their own parents. It is
hard to blame poor Elinor for having a child like me. Let me look at
you, boy," he continued, turning the child's head towards him as he
spoke. "Are you so very, very like your uncle Algernon?" The
extraordinary likeness could not fail to strike him. It filled the heart
of the miser with envy, hatred, and all uncharitableness. Still the
expression of the child's face was the only point of real resemblance;
his features and complexion belonged to his father. "Your jealous fancy,
Mark, has conjured up a phantom to annoy you. Where did this boy get his
black eyes from, if not from you? his dark complexion? I am fair, my
eyes are blue."

"He has his mother's eyes," sullenly returned the miser.

"I might as well accuse you of being the father of Godfrey, because he
has your eyes."

"You cannot reason me out of my senses. This Anthony is as like you,
Algernon, as two peas. He is your own son, and you are welcome to him.
His absence will give me no pain, nor will his adoption by you extort
from me one farthing for his future maintenance. If you persist in
taking him it will be at your own risk."

"I am contented to accept the poor orphan on these terms," said the
generous Algernon. "May God soften your iron heart towards your
neglected child. While I have wealth he shall not want; and were I
deprived of it to-morrow, he should share my bread while I have a
crust."

"Fools and their mon