dark."

"Then I must leave it to your honour; for what I have to say must be
said. You remember my brother, Scatcherd?"

Remember his brother! thought the rich man to himself. The name of
the doctor's brother had not been alluded to between them since the
days of that trial; but still it was impossible but that Scatcherd
should well remember him.

"Yes, yes; certainly. I remember your brother," said he. "I remember
him well; there's no doubt about that."

"Well, Scatcherd," and, as he spoke, the doctor laid his hand with
kindness on the other's arm. "Mary's eldest child was my brother's
child as well.

"But there is no such child living," said Sir Roger; and, in his
violence, as he spoke he threw from off him the bedclothes, and tried
to stand upon the floor. He found, however, that he had no strength
for such an effort, and was obliged to remain leaning on the bed and
resting on the doctor's arm.

"There was no such child ever lived," said he. "What do you mean by
this?"

Dr Thorne would say nothing further till he had got the man into bed
again. This he at last effected, and then he went on with the story
in his own way.

"Yes, Scatcherd, that child is alive; and for fear that you should
unintentionally make her your heir, I have thought it right to tell
you this."

"A girl, is it?"

"Yes, a girl."

"And why should you want to spite her? If she is Mary's child, she is
your brother's child also. If she is my niece, she must be your niece
too. Why should you want to spite her? Why should you try to do her
such a terrible injury?"

"I do not want to spite her."

"Where is she? Who is she? What is she called? Where does she live?"

The doctor did not at once answer all these questions. He had made
up his mind that he would tell Sir Roger that this child was living,
but he had not as yet resolved to make known all the circumstances
of her history. He was not even yet quite aware whether it would be
necessary to say that this foundling orphan was the cherished darling
of his own house.

"Such a child, is, at any rate, living," said he; "of that I give
you my assurance; and under your will, as now worded, it might come
to pass that that child should be your heir. I do not want to spite
her, but I should be wrong to let you make your will without such
knowledge, seeing that I am possessed of it myself."

"But where is the girl?"

"I do not know that that signifies."

"Signifies! Yes; it does signif