as a nun in hood and
cape. She was Sister Grace.

Hugh Ritson leaned toward counsel for the plaintiff, who promptly rose
and said:

"The witness I spoke of as dead to the world is now present in the
court."

Amid a buzz of conversation the nun was handed to the table. She raised
her long veil and showed a calm, pale face. After the usual formalities,
counsel addressed her.

"Mrs. Ritson," he said, "tell us which of the two men who sit opposite
is your son."

Sister Grace answered in a clear, soft voice:

"Both are my sons. The convict is Paul Ritson, my son by Allan Ritson;
the other is Paul Lowther, my son by an unhappy alliance with Robert
Lowther."

Drayton jumped to his feet.

"There, that's enough of this!" he shouted, excitedly. "Damme, if I can
stand any more of it!"

Bonnithorne reached over and whispered:

"Mad man, what are you doing? Hold your tongue!"

"It's all up. There's the old woman, too, come to give me away. Here, I
say, I'm Paul Drayton; that's what I am, if you want to know."

"Let the sheriff take that man before a justice of the peace," said the
judge.

"It was you that led me into this mess!" shouted Drayton at Bonnithorne.
"Only for you I would have been in Australia by this time."

"Let the sheriff apprehend Mr. Bonnithorne also," said the judge. "As
for you, sir," he continued, turning to Hugh Ritson, "I will report your
evidence to the Public Prosecutor--who must be in possession of your
statutory declaration--and leave the law officers to take their own
course with regard to you."

The action for ejectment was adjourned.

Drayton and Bonnithorne did not trouble the world much longer. Within a
month they were tried and condemned together--the one for personation;
both for conspiracy.

Paul Ritson was removed in charge of his warder, to be confined in the
town jail pending the arrival of instructions from the Secretary of
State. Hugh Ritson walked out of the court-room a free man.

CHAPTER XVII.

Hugh Ritson returned to his room on the pit-brow. On his way there he
passed a group of people congregated on the bridge at the town end. They
fell apart as he walked through, but not an eye was raised to his, and
not one glance of recognition came from his stony face. Toward the
middle of the afternoon a solicitor came from Carlisle and executed a
bill of sale on the machinery and general plant. The same evening, as
the men on the day shift came up the shaft, and th