her the melancholy privilege of praying for your help, on her death-
bed."

The proud clear voice trembled, and Beryl covered her face with her
hands.

"Then we will ignore outraged ties of blood, and treat on the ground
of mere humanity? Let me conclude, for it is sickening and loathsome
to a man of my age, to see his long silent household graves yawn,
and give up uncalled--their sheeted dead. For some years the money
sent, was a quietus, and I was left in peace. I was lonely; it was,
hard work to forget, because I could never forgive; and the more
desolate the gray ruin, the more nature yearns to cover it close
with vines and flowers; so after a time, I married a gentle, pure
hearted woman, who made the best of what was left of me. We had no
children, but she had one son of a former marriage, who proved a
noble trustworthy boy; and by degrees he crept into my heart, and
raked together the cinders of my dead affections, and kindled a
feeble flame that warmed my shivering old age. When I felt assured
that I was not thawing another serpent to sting me for my pains, I
adopted Thorton Prince, and with the aid of a Legislative enactment,
changed his name to Prince Darrington. Only a few months elapsed,
before his mother, of whom I was very fond, died of consumption and
my boy and I comforted each other. Then I made my second and last
will, and took every possible precaution to secure my estate of
every description to him. He is my sole heir, and I intend that at
my death he shall receive every cent I possess. Did you know this?"

"I did, because your last endorsement on a letter of my mother's
returned unopened to her, informed her of the fact."