had so lately been uppermost in his thoughts. "He must have
supposed your letters were an attempt at mystification on the part of
some of his jocular associates, and I am surprised that he thought it
necessary to answer them at all."

"He did answer but one, and that reply certainly had something of the
character you suggest, sir. I freely forgive him, now I understand
the truth, though his apparent contempt gave me many a bitter pang at
the time. I saw Mr. Assheton once in public, and observed him well,
for, strange as it is, I have been thought to resemble him."

"Why strange? Jack Assheton and myself have, or rather had a strong
family likeness to each other, and, though the thought is new to me,
I can now easily trace this resemblance to myself. It is rather an
Assheton than an Effingham look, though the latter is not wanting."

"These explanations are very clear and satisfactory," observed Mr.
Effingham, "and leave little doubt that Paul is the child of John
Effingham and Mildred Warrender; but they would be beyond all cavil,
were the infancy of the boy placed in an equally plain point of view,
and could the reasons be known why the Warrenders abandoned him to
the care of those who yielded him up to Mr. Powis."

"I see but little obscurity in that," returned John Effingham. "Paul
is unquestionably the child referred to in the papers left by poor
Monday, to the care of whose mother he was intrusted, until, in his
fourth year, she yielded him to Mr. Powis, to get rid of trouble and
expense, while she kept the annuity granted by Lady Dunluce. The
names appear in the concluding letters; and had we read the latter
through at first, we should earlier have arrived at, the same
conclusion, Could we find the man called Dowse, who appears to have
instigated the fraud, and who married Mrs. Monday, the whole thing
would be explained."

"Of this I am aware," said Paul, for he and John Effingham had
perused the remainder of the Monday papers together, after the
fainting fit of the latter, as soon as his strength would admit; "and
Captain Truck is now searching for an old passenger of his, who I
think will furnish the clue. Should we get this evidence, it would
settle all legal questions."

"Such questions will never be raised," said John Effingham, holding
out his hand affectionately to his son; "you possess the marriage
certificate given to your mother, and I avow myself to have been the
person therein styled John Asshe