mansion I can think of, that would just suit you is Miss Theresa
O'Reilly's--a patient of mine--when she's any one's patient. Do you know
anything about the ancient dame?"

Roger knew so much that he had waited for Lewis entirely for the reason
that Miss Theresa O'Reilly was a patient of his.

"Isn't she related to your friend, Justin O'Reilly?" he inquired.

"She's a distant cousin. As for the house, Justin feels that it ought to
be his. I have this from her, not from him. The old lady told me the
other day that she heard Justin had been hoarding up his money to buy
the house, and was coming to New York on purpose to talk matters over,
but she would refuse to see him."

"A cranky old bird!" Sands sympathized.

"You're right. Last year she mentioned to several people, me among
others, that she thought of offering the place for sale if she could get
a good price, because the New York climate gave her rheumatism, and
she'd like to try the French Riviera. But the minute she'd spoken to
me--a friend of Justin's--she could have cut out her tongue. You see,
Justin's great-great-grandfather built the house: an Irishman who came
over before the Revolution, and fought with the Americans against the
English. It remained in the family till a few years before Justin's
birth, when his father was obliged to sell through poverty, and move out
West. This old lady, Theresa O'Reilly, was the purchaser. She was, of
course, a youngish woman then, though no chicken. The story is that she
loved Justin's father, and tried to catch him with her money--she was a
rich heiress. He was on the point of engaging himself when he fell
desperately in love with a poor girl Theresa employed as social
secretary, or something of the sort. Out of revenge, Theresa went to
work in secret ways to ruin Justin Senior, who was a gay, careless
fellow, without too much money to lose, or too much patience to make
more. She's said to have put men up to lead him into bad investments.
Anyhow, she got the house, and California got the man and his family. I
imagine there was a hard struggle out there at first. Young Justin has
had to carve his own fortune: his father and mother, and an older
brother, died when he was a boy. All this long story came out of your
wanting an old house. It can't have interested you much, I'm afraid!"

"Certainly, there's enough romance attached to that house!" said Roger,
with a short laugh. "But Miss O'Reilly has changed her mind, and w