assionately; "the price I paid hoping to
win Hugh Mainwaring! I am proud of him as my own flesh and blood,
but love him? Never!"

"But you have not yet told me what you think of my last suggestion,"
he said, tentatively, watching her closely. Her manner changed
instantly; rising with all her accustomed hauteur and turning from
him with a gesture of dismissal, she replied,--

"Come to me later, when I shall have measured lances with our new
opponent, and you shall have your answer."

He would have spoken, but her dismissal was final, and with
darkening face he left the room.

CHAPTER XIX

MUTUAL RECOGNITIONS

The sudden turn of affairs in the Mainwaring case excited no small
amount of comment, and for the next ensuing days speculation was
rife concerning the recently discovered will, but more particularly
regarding the new and unknown claimant. At the clubs and elsewhere
it formed the principal topic of conversation, and Ralph Mainwaring
was loud in his denunciations of the one as a forgery, and of the
other as an impostor. To all such remarks, however, as well as to
the questions of the curious, Mr. Sutherland had but one reply,
accompanied by a slow, quiet smile; that on the day set for the
hearing, he would not only prove the validity of the will, but
would also establish, beyond all doubt or question, the identity
of the claimant.

As a result, public curiosity was so thoroughly aroused, that upon
the arrival of the "Umbria," an unusual crowd of reporters was
assembled at the pier, notwithstanding a pouring rain, and the
gang-plank had no sooner been thrown down than a number of the
more ambitious rushed on board, eager to be the first in gaining
some bit of information or personal description. Their efforts,
however, were unsuccessful, as the individuals whom they most
desired to meet remained in their state-rooms and declined to be
interviewed. Not until the crowd had about dispersed and the
patience of a few of the more persistent was nearly exhausted, was
their zeal rewarded by the sight of a party of four Englishmen, who
hastily left the boat, completely enveloped in heavy mackintoshes,
and, taking a closed carriage which was awaiting them, were driven
rapidly to the Waldorf Hotel.

At the hotel the party still remained inaccessible to all visitors,
with the exception of Mr. Sutherland, who spent much of his time
in their apartments. It was ascertained that the party consisted
of two