deeds belonging
to the Dearbrook property."

"The Dearbrook property!" exclaimed Henry Bannerworth; "I know that
there was a small estate going by that name, which belonged to our
family, but I always understood that long ago my father had parted with
it."

"Yes; it was mortgaged for a small sum--a sum not a fourth part of its
value--and it had been redeemed by Marmaduke Bannerworth, not for the
purpose of keeping it, but in order that he might sell it outright, and
so partially remedy his exhausted finances."

"I was not aware of that," returned Henry.

"Doubtless you were not, for of late--I mean for the twelve months or so
preceding your father's death--you know he was much estranged from all
the family, so that you none of you knew much of what he was doing,
except that he was carrying on a very wild and reckless career, such as
was sure to end in dishonour and poverty; but I tell you he had the
title deeds of the Dearbrook property, and that they were only got from
him, along with everything else of value that he possessed, at the
gaming-table, by the man who paid such a fearful penalty for his
success.

"It was not until after the body was completely buried, and we had
completed all our precautions for more effectually hiding it from
observation, that we recollected the fact of those important papers
being in his possession. It was Marmaduke Bannerworth who first
remembered it, and he exclaimed,--

"'By Heaven, we have buried the title deeds of the property, and we
shall have again to exhume the corpse for the purpose of procuring
them.'

"Now those deeds were nothing to me, and repugnant as I had felt from
the first to having anything whatever to do with the dead body, it was
not likely that I would again drag it from the earth for such an object.

"'Marmaduke Bannerworth,' I said, 'you can do what you please, and take
the consequences of what you do, but I will not again, if I can help it,
look upon the face of that corpse. It is too fearful a sight to
contemplate again. You have a large sum of money, and what need you care
now for the title deeds of a property comparatively insignificant?'

"'Well, well,' he said, 'I will not, at the present time, disturb the
remains; I will wait to see if anything should arise from the fact of
the murder; if it should turn out that no suspicion of any kind is
excited, but that all is still and quiet, I can then take measures to
exhume the corpse, and recover those