Armitage felt himself grow pale. He rose from his chair.

"You mean that my father----" he exclaimed.

The lawyer looked grave.

"Your father, Sir William, is dead----"

"But my elder brother, Charles?" stammered Armitage. "He succeeded to
the title and estates--not I."

"Your brother Charles," replied the lawyer solemnly, "was killed in an
automobile accident five years ago."

Armitage sank into a chair and burying his face in his hands burst into
tears. That his father had died without forgiving him was bad enough,
but that Charlie, his old pal, should have died years ago without his
knowing it, was terrible!

"Poor Charlie! Poor Charlie!" he murmured.

"When your brother was dying," went on the lawyer, "he summoned your
heart-broken father to his bedside and made him promise to forgive you,
to make every effort to discover your whereabouts, and to make a will in
your favor. They advertised for you in the London and colonial papers.
We advertised for you in the American papers. We received no answer. And
now your father has passed away. You are the sole heir. As the estates
are entailed, you would have succeeded to the estates as a matter of
course, but your father died forgiving you fully and leaving you
sufficient income to keep up the title. Sir John, I again congratulate
you on succeeding to an old and honored title and an income of little
less than $100,000 a year."

Armitage listened like a man who is dazed. It had all come so suddenly
that he thought he must be dreaming.

"When did my father die--of what?" he asked in a low tone.

"Of heart failure--three weeks ago," was the rejoinder. "We've been
trying to find you ever since. They followed you as far as the London
docks, and then all trace of you was lost. Where have you been all these
years?"

The lawyer noted his new client's sun-tanned face, and he looked askance
at his workman's dress.

"Knocking about the world--trying to forget things," replied Armitage.

Mr. Willoughby shook his head as he said:

"Young men will do foolish things! Well, you've had your lesson. Perhaps
you'll be a better man for the hard time you've had. The past is dead
and forgotten. A bright future is before you. What do you propose to do
now?"

Armitage seemed lost in thought.

"I don't know. I haven't had time to think."

"Have you any ties here? Are you married?"

Armitage smiled.

"No, who would have me--a pauper?"

Mr. Willoughby carefully adjusted