“Oh, my interests be hanged,” he exclaimed, petulantly.  “I don’t see that you’ve accomplished much for my interests with all your scheming.  A week ago I could hold up my head with any of the fellows.  I was supposed to be a relative of Hugh Mainwaring’s, with good prospects, and that I would come in for a good round sum whenever the old fellow made his will, — just as I did.  Now that’s gone, and everything’s gone; I haven’t even a name left!”

“Walter LaGrange, what do you mean?  Do you dare insinuate to your own mother-”

“Why don’t you call me Walter Mainwaring?” he sneered.  “As to insinuations, I have to hear plenty of ’em.  Last night I was black-balled at one of the clubs where my name had been presented for membership, and a lot of the fellows have cut me dead.”

“Walter, listen to me.  You are Hugh Mainwaring’s son and I was his wife.  I will yet compel people to recognize us as such; but you must — "

“Tell me one thing,” he demanded, interrupting her.  “If I was Hugh Mainwaring’s son, why have I not borne his name?  Why did he not recognize me as such?  I’ll claim no man for my father who would not acknowledge me as his son.”

Then, before she could reply, he added, “If you were the wife of Hugh Mainwaring, what was the meaning of your proposal of marriage to him less than three months ago?”

She grew deathly pale; but he, seeming to enjoy the situation, repeated, sneeringly, “Less than three months ago, the night on which he gave you the necklace which you commissioned me to sell the other day!  You urged your suit with a vengeance, too, I remember, for you threatened to ruin him if he did not come to your terms.

“I only laughed then, for I thought ’twas another scheme of yours to get a tighter hold on the old man’s purse-strings.  It’s nothing to me what your object was, but in view of the fact that I happened to overhear that little episode, it might be just as well not to try to tell me that I am Hugh Mainwaring’s son.  You will naturally see that I am not likely to be interested in helping carry out that little farce!”

Still controlling herself by a tremendous will power, the wretched woman made one more desperate effort.  In low tones she replied,-

“You show your base ingratitude by thus insulting your mother and running the risk of betraying her to listening servants by your talk.  Of course, this is all a farce, as you say, but it must be carried through.  You and I were distantly related to Hugh Mainwaring, but what chance would we have against these people with no more of a claim than ours?  I am compelled to assert that I was his wife and that you are his son in order to win any recognition in the eyes of the law.”

For an instant her son regarded her with an expression of mingled surprise and incredulity, then the sneer returned, and, turning to leave the room, he answered, carelessly,-