everything else.

But for Louis Hamblin's last remarks, and the betrayal of his real
nature, and his selfish, ignoble purpose, she would have been grieved on
his account, but she saw that he was unworthy of her regard, of even one
sorrowful thought.

"These papers and keepsakes of which he has told me are mine," she said
to herself; "they belong by right to me, and I must--I will have them.
That certificate, oh! if I could get but that, I could give myself to Ray
without a scruple, and besides I could secure this property which Homer
Forester has left to my mother, and then I need not go to Ray quite
penniless. These things must be in either Louis Hamblin's or Mrs.
Montague's possession--doubtless they are even now somewhere in the house
in West Forty-ninth street. I shall tell Mr. Corbin immediately upon my
return, and perhaps he will know of some way by which they can be
compelled to give them up."

She fell to musing over the matter, little suspecting that the most
important treasure of all--the contested marriage certificate--had
already fallen into her lover's hands, and was at that moment safely
locked in Mr. Corbin's safe, only awaiting her own and Mrs. Montague's
return from the South to set her right before the world, both as to
parentage and inheritance.

Louis Hamblin remained in Mrs. Montague's parlor until her return from
the concert, brooding over the failure of his purpose, and trying to
devise some scheme by which he could attain the desire of his heart.

He then gave her a faithful account of his interview with Mona, and they
sat far into the night and plotted how best to achieve their object.

Mrs. Montague was now as eager to have Louis marry Mona as she had
previously been determined to oppose it.

"I am bound that she shall never go into the Palmer family, if I can
prevent it," she said, with a frowning brow. "If I am to be mistress of
Mr. Palmer's home, I have no intention of allowing Mona Forester's child
to be a blot on my future happiness."

"You are complimentary, Aunt Marg, in your remarks regarding my future
wife," Louis sarcastically observed.

"I can't help it, Louis. I bear the girl no good-will, as you have known
from the first, and you must make up your mind to accept matters as they
are. You are determined to have her and I have given my consent to the
marriage from purely selfish motives," Mrs. Montague returned, in a
straightforward, matter-of-fact tone. "I would never have