I was shocked, and held my tongue. My father appeared also to be
confused at his hasty expressions. He sank back in his carriage, and
preserved a gloomy silence until we arrived at our own door. As soon as
we entered, my father hastened to his own room, and I went up to my
sister Ellen, who was in her bed room. I revealed to her all that had
passed, and advised with her on the propriety of my communicating to my
father the reasons which had occasioned my uncle's extreme aversion
towards me. After much argument, she agreed with me, that the disclosure
had now become necessary.

After the dinner-cloth had been removed, I then communicated to my
father the circumstances which had come to our knowledge relative to my
uncle's establishment in Ireland. He heard me very attentively, took out
tablets, and made notes.

"Well, Peter," said he, after a few minutes' silence, when I had
finished, "I see clearly through this whole business. I have no doubt
but that a child has been substituted to defraud you and me of our just
inheritance of the title and estates; but I will now set to work and try
if I cannot find out the secret; and, with the help of Captain O'Brien
and Father M'Grath, I think it is not at all impossible."

"O'Brien will do all that he can, sir," replied I; "and I expect soon to
hear from him. He must have now been a week in Ireland."

"I shall go there myself," replied my father; "and there are no means
that I will not resort to, to discover this infamous plot. No,"
exclaimed he, striking his fist on the table, so as to shiver two of the
wine-glasses into fragments--"no means but I will resort to."

"That is," replied I, "my dear father, no means which may be
legitimately employed by one of your profession."

"I tell you, no means that can be used by _man_ to recover his defrauded
rights! Tell me not of legitimate means, when I am to lose a title and
property by a spurious and illegitimate substitution! By the God of
heaven, I will meet them with fraud for fraud, with false swearing for
false swearing, and with blood for blood, if it should be necessary! My
brother has dissolved all ties, and I will have my right, even if I
demand it with a pistol at his ear."

"For Heaven's sake, my dear father, do not be so violent--recollect your
profession."

"I do," replied he, bitterly; "and how I was forced into it against my
will. I recollect my father's words, the solemn coolness with which he
told me, 'I had m