at is left to you, or
with the woman--cruel as the grave and false as hell--who once
wrecked my life, and now, with the son that you dare not
acknowledge, rules your home, but you cannot buy my silence. I
come to you as no beggar! I am a richer man to-day than you, but
for the sake of generations past, as well as of generations yet to
come, I will have my own. The estate which was once my forefathers
shall be my son's, and his sons' after him!'

"As I listened, my whole soul rose against him in bitter hatred,
the old hatred of my youth. 'I defy you,' I' cried, hotly, 'to
produce one atom of proof in support of your claim or of your
charges against me! The estate is mine, and I will make you rue
the day that you dare dispute my right and title to it!'

"His eyes flashed with scorn as he replied, 'You lie, Hugh
Mainwaring! Your life for the past twenty-five years has been
nothing but a lie, and the day just closed has witnessed the final
act in this farce of yours. That I have already undone, and just
as surely I will undo the work of the past years. And let me assure
you I have no lack of proof with which to verify either my own
claim or any assertion I have made, or may yet make, against you.
I have proof that on the night preceding my father's death he made
a will restoring to me my full rights, which you have fraudulently
withheld all these years; and through my son, whom you have known
for the past eighteen months as your private secretary, I have proof
that that will is still in existence, of itself an irrefutable
witness against you!'

"With the mention of my secretary the truth flashed upon me. I
realized I was completely in his power, and with a sense of my
own impotency my rage and hatred increased. Forgetful of the weapon
in his hand and almost blind with fury, I sprang towards him,
intending to throttle him--to strangle him--until he should plead
for mercy. Instantly he raised the revolver in warning, but not
before I had seized his wrist, turning the weapon from myself. A
brief struggle followed, in which I soon found my strength was no
match for his. Growing desperate, I summoned all my strength for
one tremendous effort, at the same time holding his wrist in a
vice-like grip, forcing his hand higher and turning the revolver
more and more in his direction. Suddenly there was a flash,--a
sharp report,--and he fell heavily to the floor, dragging me down
upon him.

"For an instant I was too