e heart-thumping passed away. The reaction, under the strong spur and
steady push of will, brought his nerves up to steadiness, and he sat
down, took his pencils and pens that had been selected for the service,
and wrote first the name of Paul Benedict, and then, as witnesses, the
names of Nicholas Johnson and James Ramsey.

So the document was signed, and witnessed by men whom he believed to be
dead. The witnesses whose names he had forged he knew to be dead. With
this document he believed he could defend his possession of all the
patent rights on which the permanence of his fortune depended. He
permitted the ink to dry, then folded the paper, and put it back in its
place. Then he shut and opened the drawer, and took it out again. It had
a genuine look.

Then he rang his bell and called for Phipps. When Phipps appeared, he
said:

"Well, Phipps, what do you want?"

"Nothing, sir," and Phipps smiled.

"Very well; help yourself."

"Thank you, sir," and Phipps rubbed his hands.

"How are you getting along in New York, Phipps?"

"Very well, sir."

"Big thing to be round with the General, isn't it? It's a touch above
Sevenoaks, eh?"

"Yes, sir."

"Get enough to eat down-stairs?"

"Plenty."

"Good clothes to wear?"

"Very good," and Phipps looked down upon his toilet with great
satisfaction.

"Stolen mostly from the General, eh?"

Phipps giggled.

"That's all; you can go. I only wanted to see if you were in the house,
and well taken care of."

Phipps started to go. "By the way, Phipps, have you a good
memory?--first-rate memory?"

"Yes, sir."

"Can you remember everything that happened, a--say, six years ago?"

"I can try," said Phipps, with an intelligent glance into Mr. Belcher's
eyes.

"Do you remember a day, about six years ago, when Paul Benedict came
into my house at Sevenoaks, with Nicholas Johnson and James Ramsey, and
they all signed a paper together?"

"Very well," replied Phipps.

"And do you remember that I said to you, after they were gone, that that
paper gave me all of Benedict's patent rights?"

Phipps looked up at the ceiling, and then said:

"Yes, sir, and I remember that I said, 'It will make you very rich,
won't it, Mr. Belcher?'"

"And what did I reply to you?"

"You said, 'That remains to be seen.'"

"All right. Do you suppose you should know that paper if you were to see
it?"

"I think I should--after I'd seen it once."

"Well, there it is--suppose you take