thousand dollars, and--"

"Have you broken into a bank?" asked Squire Davenport, with a sneer.

"I have come into a legacy. To cut matters short, it will be for your
interest to pay this claim, and not allow the story to be made known.
It would damage your reputation."

In the end this was what the squire was forced very unwillingly to do.
The amount he had to pay to the estate of the man whose family he had
sought to defraud was nearly fifteen hundred dollars. This, added to
Ben's four thousand, made the family very comfortable. Mr. Kirk was
compelled to look elsewhere for a house. No one was more chagrined at
the unexpected issue of the affair than Tom Davenport, whose mean and
jealous disposition made more intense his hatred of Ben.

* * * * * * * * *

Several years have elapsed. Ben is in the office of a real estate
lawyer in New York, as junior partner. All Mrs. Hamilton's business
is in his hands, and it is generally thought that he will receive a
handsome legacy from her eventually. Mrs. Barclay prefers to live in
Pentonville, but Ben often visits her. Whenever he goes to
Pentonville he never fails to call on Rose Gardiner, now a beautiful
young lady of marriageable age. She has lost none of her partiality
for Ben, and it is generally understood that they are engaged. I have
reason to think that the rumor is correct and that Rose will change
her name to Barclay within a year. Nothing could be more agreeable to
Mrs. Barclay, who has long looked upon Rose as a daughter.

Tom Davenport is now in the city, but his course is far from
creditable. His father has more than once been compelled to pay his
debts, and has angrily refused to do so again. In fact, he has lost a
large part of his once handsome fortune, and bids fair to close his
life in penury. Success has come to Ben because he deserved it, and
well-merited retribution to Tom Davenport. Harvey Dinsmore, once
given over to evil courses, has redeemed himself, and is a reputable
business man in New York. Mrs. Hamilton still lives, happy in the
success of her protege. Conrad and his mother have tried more than
once to regain their positions in her household, but in vain. None of
my young readers will pity them. They are fully rewarded for their
treachery.

Transcriber's comments:
Typographical errors have been left as in the original book. Specifically,
meaness, companoin's