I can assure you it is perfectly reliable, and my
informant would never have made such an assertion unless he had ample
authority to back it up."

"I don't care a rap for your information or its source," the other
interrupted, impatiently. "The whole thing is simply preposterous.
The estate descended regularly to Hugh Mainwaring, and from him to
our own family as next of kin. You can see for yourself that to
talk of any other claimants having prior rights is an utter
absurdity."

"Had not Hugh Mainwaring an elder brother?"

"He had; but you must be aware that he died a great many years ago."

"But had that elder brother no issue?"

"None living," Mr. Mainwaring replied, coldly. Then added, in the
same tone, "Even had there been, that fact would have no bearing on
this case, Mr. Whitney. The entire estate was transferred to Hugh
Mainwaring by legal process before the death of his brother, he and
his heirs having been forever disinherited, so that it is the same
as though he had never existed."

While he was speaking, the secretary entered the library, his pallor
and unusual expression attracting Mr. Whitney's attention. In
response to a glance of inquiry from the latter, however, he merely
said,--

"The copy is completed. You will find it on the desk," and passed
from the library into the hall.

Still wondering at his appearance, Mr. Whitney proceeded to the
tower-room, and a moment later both gentlemen were absorbed in the
perusal of the duplicate of the lost will; but afterwards the
attorney recalled that, on taking the document from the desk, he
had noticed that the large blotter covering the top had been removed
and replaced by a new one.

There was no perceptible change in Scott's appearance during the
remainder of the day, except that he seemed more than usually
thoughtful, sometimes to the verge of abstraction, but, in reality,
his mind was so preoccupied with endless doubts and surmises
regarding his recent discovery that he found it exceedingly difficult
to concentrate his attention upon the work required of him. That
afternoon, however, while engaged in looking through some important
documents belonging to Hugh Mainwaring, kept at the city offices,
a cablegram was handed him, addressed to himself personally, from
Barton & Barton, a well-known legal firm in London. The despatch
itself caused him little surprise, as he had been in correspondence
with this firm for more than a year; but the co