had just begun to snore and then aroused him by another question.

"Who is this paragon of virtue to whom you so confidently trust the
chastity of your wife?"

"This w-w-what?"

"This paragon of virtue--this ice-cold Adonis?"

"Say whatcher mean."

"Who is this pure young man with whom the beautiful Pepeeta is so safe?
What is it you call him, David Crocker?"

"'Tain't his real name."

"What is his real name?"

"D'n I ever t-t-tell you?"

"No."

"Real name's C-C-Corson--David Corson."

"What?" cried the judge, springing to his feet.

"C-C-Corson--I tell you," stuttered the quack, too drunk to notice the
peculiar effect of his announcement.

"What do you know about him?" the judge asked with ill-suppressed
excitement.

"Keep still--wan' go sleep."

"Wake up and tell me what you know about him, I say."

"He' Squaker."

"A Quaker?"

"Yes, Squaker."

"Great heavens!" speaking under his breath and trembling visibly. "What
else do you know?"

"Illegitimate child."

"What?" passing around the table, seizing him by the collar and shaking
him. "Say that again."

"'S true--s' help me! What you c-c-care?"

"How do you know he is an illegitimate child--I say?"

"I know--that's nuf! Sh'tup and lemme g-g-go sleep."

"Tell me, curse you!" shaking him until his teeth rattled.

He was too far gone to answer and fell under the table. The judge kicked
him, and with a muttered curse took up a glass of whisky, and tossing
it down his throat, hurriedly left the cabin, and began to pace the
deck in violent agitation.

This man who had so ruthlessly set a pitfall for his neighbor had
suddenly tumbled into one which retributive justice had dug deep for
himself!

"It must be true," he was saying. "It accounts for the strange feeling I
had toward him when he asked me to help him do that infernal deed. I
could not understand it then, but it is plain enough now. He is my son!
And I have not only transmitted a tainted life to him, but helped to
damn him in its possession! God! what irony! Of course the quack never
knew that I, too, am living under a false name! I wonder if it is too
late to stop him? Yes--it's done, and he is miles away! It's almost
daybreak now! Whewwwh! It's horrible!"

He dashed his clenched fist on the railing of the vessel. While he stood
there, his mind ran back into the past. He lived over again those
passionate days when he had won and betrayed a young, beautiful,
impressionable gir