de and executed my
will in favor of my namesake, Hugh Mainwaring, and on the following
day--his birthday and mine--he was to be declared my heir. It
was past eleven o'clock on the night of that day when I retired to
my private library, and it was fully an hour later when, having
dismissed my secretary, I finally found myself alone, as I supposed,
for the night. My thoughts were far from pleasant. I had just had
a stormy interview with my housekeeper, Mrs. LaGrange, who had
tried, as on previous occasions, to coerce me by threats into a
private marriage and a public recognition of her as my wife and of
her child and mine; and, in addition, the occurrences of the day
had been of a nature to recall the past, and events which I usually
sought to bury in oblivion were passing before my mental vision
despite my efforts to banish them. Suddenly a voice which seemed
like an echo of the past recalled me to the present. Somewhat
startled, I turned quickly, confronting a man who had entered
unperceived from the tower-room. He was my own height and size,
with curling black hair and heavy mustache, but I was unable to
distinguish his features as he remained standing partly in the
shadow. Before I could recover from my surprise, he again spoke,
his voice still vaguely familiar.

"'The master of Fair Oaks'--the words were spoken with stinging
emphasis--'seems depressed on the eve of his festal day, the day
on which he is to name the heir and successor to his vast estates!'

"I remembered that a stranger had called that day during my absence,
who, my secretary had informed me, bad shown a surprising familiarity
with my private plans.

"'I think,' I replied, coldly, 'that you favored me with a call
this afternoon, but whatever your business then or now, you will
have to defer it for a few days. I do not know how you gained
admittance to these apartments at this hour, but I will see that
you are escorted from them without delay,' and as I spoke I rose
to ring for a servant.

"He anticipated my intention, however, and with the agility of a
panther sprang noiselessly across the room, intercepting me, at
the same time raising a large, English bull-dog revolver, which
he levelled at me.

"'Not so fast, not so fast,' he said, softly; 'you can afford to
wait a little; I have waited for years!'

"I stood as though rooted to the spot, gazing at him with a sort
of fascination. As he emerged into the light there was something
al