ared not refuse it!_

He started immediately for St. Louis, and wended his way to the
lawyer's office. He feared he should find his nephew there, but was
relieved to find himself alone with Mr. Bates.

"To what decision have you come, Mr. Grey?" asked the lawyer.

"What terms do you offer?"

"Silence, provided you surrender the estate at once."

"It will render me penniless."

"At what do you estimate the value of the estate?"

"One hundred and fifty thousand dollars."

"This is about the figure at which my client estimated it. I am
authorized by him to offer you ten thousand dollars in hand, and an
annual income of two thousand dollars upon the acknowledgment without
delay of the rightfulness of his claim."

It was more than Mr. Grey hoped for. He judged his nephew by himself,
and doubted, especially after his attempt upon his life, whether he
would not leave him to the bitterness of utter poverty.

"I accept the terms," he said, briefly.

"Then the proper papers shall be made out at once."

Now that Mr. Grey offered no further opposition, there was no further
cause of delay. An hour later, Gilbert had in his possession the legal
document which restored him to his rights, and made him a rich man.

His uncle received in exchange a paper, assuring to him the provision
which Gilbert had generously made. Armed with this, he went home
without seeing his nephew.

He was ashamed to face the lad whom he had so basely defrauded, and
still more basely sought to slay.

When Jasper, to whom he had said nothing of the motive of his journey,
met him, he at once detected the trouble in his father's manner.

"What is the matter, father?" he inquired.

"All is lost, Jasper," said his father.

"What do you mean?"

"Gilbert has triumphed, and I am a comparative beggar."

"Then what is to become of me?" demanded Jasper, thunder-struck.

"Always yourself!" repeated his father, bitterly. "You have no feeling
for me. All your anxiety is for yourself."

"I never pretended to be an affectionate son," said Jasper, coolly.
"It's my belief that you've mismanaged this matter somewhat. You'd
better have left it in my hands."

"I did the best I could, but Gilbert is sharp and no baby. You might
know that from the way in which he tamed Bucephalus."

"I wish the brute had broken his neck."

"I don't know," said James Grey, slowly. "I believe Heaven is on his
side, and we can't fight against Heaven."

"Perhaps you are c