violence of the old man's passion seemed to have exhausted him, and
he sat down on the bed, breathing heavily and panting.

"Where were we?" cried he at last. "What was it that we were arguing?
Yes--ay--to be sure--these bills--these confounded bills. I can't pay
them. I would n't if I could. That scoundrel Fagan has made enough of me
without that. What was it you said of an annuity? There was some talk of
an annuity, eh?"

Crowther bent down, and spoke some words in a low, murmuring voice.

"Well, and for that what am I to do?" cried Curtis, suddenly. "My share
of the compact is heavy enough, I'll be sworn. What is it?"

"I think I can show you that it is not much of a sacrifice, sir. I know
you hate long explanations, and I 'll make mine very brief. Mr. Fagan
has very heavy charges against an estate which is not unlikely to be
the subject of a disputed ownership. It may be a long suit, with all
the delays and difficulties of Chancery; and in looking over the various
persons who may prefer claims here and there, we find your name amongst
the rest, for it is a long list, sir. There may be forty or forty-five
in all! The principal one, however, is a wealthy baronet who has ample
means to prosecute his claim, and with fair hopes of succeeding. My
notion, however, was that if Mr. Fagan could arrange with the several
persons in the cause to waive their demands for a certain consideration,
that it would not be difficult then to arrange some compromise with the
baronet himself,--he surrendering the property to Fagan for a certain
amount, on taking with it all its liabilities. You understand?"

"And who's the owner?" asked Curtis, shortly.

"He is dead, sir."

"Who was he when alive?"

"An old friend, or rather the son of an old friend of yours, Mr.
Curtis!"

"Ah, Brinsley Morgan! I guess him at once; but you are wrong, quite
wrong there, my good fellow. I have n't the shadow of a lien on
his estate. We talked it over together one day, and Hackett, the
Attorney-General, who was in the house, said that my claim was n't
worth five shillings. But I 'll tell you where I have a claim,--at least
Hackett said so, I have a very strong claim--No, no; I was forgetting
again,--my memory is quite gone. It is so hard when one grows old to
bear the last ten or fifteen years in mind. I can remember my boyhood
and my school-days like yesterday. It is late events that confuse me!
You 'll scarce believe me when I tell you I often fin