u talk as if you already knew something of this?" said St. John
quickly.

"I does know somet'ing, sah."

"Has my aunt ever spoken to you on the subject, Ben?"

"I don't know as I ought to answer dat dar question, Massah St. John."

"Then she has spoken. What did she say?"

The colored man hesitated.

"As I said befo', sah, I don't rackon I ought to answer dat dar
question."

"But you must answer me, Ben--to keep silent is foolish. Rest assured I
have the best interests of my aunt and Marion at heart. Now what did she
say?"

"Well, sah, if yo' must know, she said as how she was gwine to leave
Massah Jack half de prop'ty."

St. John leaped back in amazement.

"You don't mean that, Ben!" he gasped.

"Yes, sah, I does mean it."

"Half the property?"

"Yes, sah."

"He doesn't deserve it!"

At this the old negro shrugged his huge shoulders.

"Rackon de missus knows what she wants to do."

"But it is not right--to give the boy half the estate. I suppose the
other half will go to Marion."

"Yes, sah."

The young man's face grew pale, and he began to pace the floor again.

"She never mentioned me in connection with this, did she?"

"No, sah."

"And yet I am her nephew."

"Rackon she dun thought yo' was rich enough, Massah St. John."

"Perhaps I am, Ben. But it is strange that my own flesh and blood should
forget me, to take up with a nobody. Did my aunt ever speak of the
particulars of what she intended to do?"

"No, sah."

"Humph! It's strange. I must look into this." And a few minutes later
St. John Ruthven was off on horseback, in a frame of mind far from
pleasant.

CHAPTER VI.

MRS. RUTHVEN'S STORY.

"I am so glad to see you both back, safe and sound!"

It was Mrs. Alice Ruthven who spoke, as she embraced first her daughter
and then Jack.

"And we are glad enough to get back, mother," answered Marion.

"I was so frightened, even after Old Ben went after you. We watched the
lightning, and when it struck the wreck----" Mrs. Ruthven stopped
speaking and gave a shiver.

"We weren't in such very great danger," answered Jack. Then he looked at
the lady curiously.

"What is it, Jack? You have something on your mind," she said quickly.

The youth looked at Marian, who turned red.

"I--I--that is, mother, Jack knows the truth," faltered the girl.

"The truth?" repeated Mrs. Ruthven slowly.

"Yes, Marion has told me the truth," said Jack, in as steady a voice as
he could co