r seemed to grow less and less impossible
to Matt; but he really knew nothing of the legal complications; and when
he proposed it to his father, old Hilary shook his head. "I don't
believe it could be done. The man's regularly indicted, and he's in
contempt of court as long as he doesn't present himself for trial.
That's the way I understand it. But I'll see our counsel. Whose scheme
is this?"

"I don't know. Miss Northwick told me of it; but I fancied Miss
Suzette--"

"Yes," said Hilary. "It must have cost her almost her life to give up
her faith in that pitiful rascal."

"But after she had done that, it would cost her nothing to give up the
property, and as I understood Miss Northwick, that was her sister's
first impulse. She wished to give up her half of the estate
unconditionally; but Miss Northwick wouldn't consent, and they
compromised on the conditions she told me of."

"Well," said Hilary, "I think Miss Northwick showed the most sense. But
of course, Sue's a noble girl. She almost transfigures that old
scoundrel of a father of hers. That fellow--Jack Wilmington--ought to
come forward now and show himself a man, if he _is_ one. _Any_ man might
be proud of such a girl's love--and they say she was in love with him.
But he seems to have preferred to dangle after his uncle's wife. He
isn't good enough for her, and probably he always knew it."

Matt profited by the musing fit that came upon his father, to go and
look at the picture over the mantel. It was not a new picture; but he
did not feel that he was using his father quite frankly; and he kept
looking at it for that reason.

"If those poor creatures gave up their property, what would they do?
They've absolutely nothing else in the world!"

"I fancy," said Matt, "that isn't a consideration that would weigh with
Suzette Northwick."

"No. If there's anything in heredity, the father of such a girl must
have some good in him. Of course, they wouldn't be allowed to suffer."

"Do you mean that the company would regard the fact that it had no legal
claim on the property, and would recognize it in their behalf?"

"The company!" Hilary roared. "The company has _no_ right to that
property, moral _or_ legal. But we should act as if we had. If it were
unconditionally offered to us, we ought to acknowledge it as an act of
charity to us, and not of restitution. But every man Jack of us would
hold out for a right to it that didn't exist, and we should take it as
par