a young man of limited income and no
expectations like John Scott.

The duke was excessively provoked; the forbearance of years gave way; the
bottled-up indignation burst forth, and the guardian gave his ward what
in boyish parlance is called, "an awful rowing."

"You live, sir, at twenty times the rate, your debts are twenty times as
large, you cost me twenty times as much as does Lord Arondelle, my own
son and heir!" concluded the duke, in a final burst of anger.

John Scott had listened grimly enough to the opening exordium, but when
the last sentence broke from the duke's lips, the young man grew pale as
death, while his compressed lips, contracted brow, and gleaming blue eyes
alone expressed the fury that raged in his bosom.

He answered very quietly:

"Your grace means that I cost you twenty times as much as does your
younger son, Lord Archibald Scott, as it is natural that I should being
the elder son and the heir of the dukedom."

To portray the duke's thoughts, feelings or looks during his deliberate
speech would be simply impossible. He sat staring at the speaker, with
gradually paling cheeks and widening eyes, until the quiet voice ceased,
when he faltered forth:

"What in Heaven's name do you mean?"

"I should think your grace should know right well what I have known for
years, and can never for a moment forget, though your grace may effect to
do so--that I am your eldest son, the son of your first marriage, with
the daughter of the Baron de la Motte, and therefore that I, and not my
younger half brother, by your second marriage, am the right Marquis of
Arondelle, and the heir of the Dukedom of Hereward," calmly replied the
young man, with all the confidence an assured conviction gave.

The duke sank back in his seat and covered his face with his hands.
However John Scott had made the discovery, it was absolutely certain that
he knew the whole secret of his parentage.

"What authority have you for making so strange an assertion?" at length
inquired the duke.

"The authority of recorded truth," replied the young man, emphatically.
"But does your grace really suppose that such a secret could be kept
from me? My dear, lost mother never revealed it to me by her words, but
she unconsciously revealed enough to me by her actions to excite my
suspicions, and set me on the right track. The records did the rest,
and put me in possession of the whole truth."

"What records have you examined?" inquired the