ze 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,--

"You can tell your little story to other people, and when you have
won a fortune on it, why, I'll be around for my share, as, whatever
my doubts in other directions, I have not the slightest doubt that
you are my mother, and therefore bound to support me. But, for the
present, if you please, I'll go by the old name of LaGrange. It's
a name that suits me very well yet, even though," and a strange look
flashed at her from his dark eyes, "even though it may be only a
borrowed one," and the door closed, for the last time, between
mother and son.

A low moan escaped from the lips of the unhappy woman. "My son--the
only living being of my flesh