know, Tave, what Champney should have had--"

Octavius nodded emphatically and found his voice.

"Don't I know? You may bet your life I know more'n I've ever told,
Aurora. Don't I know how Louis Champney said to me: 'Tave, I shall see
the boy through; forty thousand of mine is to be his'; and that was six
weeks before he died; and don't I know, too, how I didn't get a glimpse
of Louis Champney again till two weeks before his death, and then he was
unconscious and didn't know me or any one else?"

Octavius paused for breath. Aurora Googe rose and went to the closet.

"I must go now, Tave; take me with you." She took out a cloak and
burnous.

"I hate to say it, Aurora, but I'm afraid it won't do no good; she's a
tough cuss when it comes to money--"

"But she must; he's her own flesh and blood and she's cheated him out of
what is rightfully his. It's been my awful pride that kept me from going
sooner--and--oh, Tave, Tave,--I tried to make my boy promise never to
ask her for money! I've been hoping all along she would offer--"

"Offer! Almeda Champney offer to help any one with her money that was
Louis Champney's!"

"But she has enough of her own, Tave; the money that was my boy's
grandfather's."

"You don't know her, Aurora, not yet, after all you've suffered from
her. If you'd seen her and lived with her as I have, year out and year
in, you'd know her love of money has eat into her soul and gangrened it.
'T ain't no use to go, I tell you, Aurora." He put out his hand to
detain her, for she had thrown on her cloak and was winding the burnous
about her head.

"Tave, I'm going; don't say another word against it; and you must take
me down. She isn't the only one who has loved money till it blinded them
to duty--I can't throw stones--and after all she's a woman; I am going
to ask her to help with the money that is rightfully my boy's--and if
she gives it, I will take your twenty thousand to make up the amount."
She pressed the package into his hand.

"But what if she doesn't?"

"Then I'll ask Father Honore to do what he proposed to do last week: go
to Mr. Van Ostend and ask him for the money--there's nothing left but
that." She drew her breath hard and led the way from the room,
hurriedly, as if there were not a moment to lose. Octavius followed her,
protesting:

"Try Mr. Van Ostend first, Aurora; don't go to Mrs. Champney now."

"Now is the only time. If I hadn't asked my own relation, Mr. Van Ostend
would h