he had left no will, and the heirat-law had to be found.  She had sent copies of these documents, very admirably executed by a Sydney friend, who had been sent across the ocean for similar instances of skill, to Mr. Hogarth, so that he did not think she had any proof to bring forward to support her claims to be Francis’ mother; but it was only recently that she had thought of making more favourable terms with regard to her other secret with the disinherited nieces than with the ungrateful heir, and their coming so near just when she was exasperated at Francis’ neglect, had made her overlook the want of proof.  She had now fatally injured herself with Francis, with a very faint chance of success with the Melvilles.  She therefore repeated nervously, “Look over the old newspapers—­the mother must have known the difference—­there must have been some inquiry about it that would prove my statement, which is all true, every word of it, as I hope for salvation.”

“Yes, that might be of some use; that might be seen to,” said Brandon, doubtfully.  “Our data are meagre enough.  Your mother is dead, I suppose, and she is the only person besides yourself who knew of the crime you both committed.”

“She is dead and gone a dozen years ago, and it was her as committed the crime, as you call it, and not me.  I won’t answer for it to nobody.”

“Well, we must make inquiry in the house, though I fear that is hopeless, and in the newspapers.  If you had had the sense to have got the mother’s name, we might advertise in America; but I suppose you thought then that the less you knew about it the better.  Though you cannot expect the thousand pounds-----”

“But you promised it,” said Mrs. Peck.  “I’ll say nothing more, unless I can get something first.  You have basely deceived me.  I never heard of a more scoundrelly action than getting me to tell you all that old story, and put myself into such a wrong box, on the pretence that I was to get a thousand pounds, and now you say that what you signed is waste paper.  I’ll get my own statement from you back again, before you leave this,” and Mrs. Peck, with eyes of fury, planted herself at the back of the door.  The next thing you’ll do will be go and give information, I fancy.

“Be cool, Mrs. Peck; I do not mean to injure you.  As I said, though there is no chance of our depriving Mr. Hogarth of property left to him so clearly as this, I think I may take it upon me to say, as his friend-----”

“His friend!” interrupted Mrs Peck.  “Oh, how you have deceived me!  And you call yourself a gentleman, I suppose; and serve an old woman like that.”

“Yes; as his friend,” said Brandon, firmly, “I think I may say that he would be disposed to reward you, if you can prove that you are not his mother.  I do not hesitate to say that he would give you five hundred pounds for such information as would hold in a court of law that he is not your son.”