ation living nearer than yourself, at the expense of those also
gone, but who have left relations who could ill bear to suffer from
such a revelation?"

"Justice is justice, whether a man be dead or alive," said Miles;
"and Douglas is alive to demand his right."

"Alive!" cried Mr. Moy, starting violently. "Alive! Archie Douglas
alive!"

"Alive, and in England," said Julius. "He slept in my house the
night before last. He never was in the Hippolyta, at all, but has
been living in Africa all these years of exile."

Mr. Moy's self-command and readiness were all gone. He sank back in
his chair, with his hands over his face. The brothers looked at one
another, fearing he might have a stroke; but he revived in a moment,
yet with a totally different expression on his countenance. The
keen, defensive look was gone, there was only something piteously
worn and supplicating in the face, as he said--

"Then, gentlemen, I cannot resent anything you may do. Believe me,
but for the assurance of his death, I should have acted very
differently long ago. I will assist you in any way you desire in
reinstating Mr. Douglas in public opinion, only, if it be possible,
let my wife be spared. She has recently had the heaviest possible
blow; she can bear no more."

"Mr. Moy, we will do nothing vindictive. We can answer for my
mother and Douglas," began Julius; but Miles, more sternly, would
not let his brother hold out his hand, and said--

"You allow, then, the truth of Gadley's confession?"

"What has he confessed?" said Moy, still too much the lawyer not to
see that his own complicity had never yet been stated.

Julius laid before him his own written record of Gadley's words, not
only involving Moy in the original fraud, but showing how he had
bribed the only witness to silence ever since. The unhappy man read
it over, and said--

"Yes, Mr. Charnock, it is all true. I cannot battle it further. I
am at your mercy. I would leave you to proclaim the whole to the
world; if it were not for my poor wife and her father, I would be
glad to do so. Heaven knows how this has hung upon me for years."

"I can well believe it," said Julius, not to be hindered now from
grasping Mr. Moy's hand.

It seemed to be a comfort now to tell the whole story in detail.
Moy, the favoured and trusted articled clerk at first, then the
partner, the lover and husband of the daughter, had been a model of
steadiness and success so early, that