"YOUR letter notifies me, in general terms, that the answers
returned to your inquiries as to my antecedents and present
reputation are the reverse of satisfactory. You feel constrained,
you add, in view of the information thus obtained, to interdict my
further intercourse with your sister or any other member of your
family. Since I cannot battle with shadows, or refute insinuations
the drift of which I do not in the least comprehend, may I trouble
you to put the allegations to which you refer into a definite and
tangible shape? Let me know who are my accusers, and what are the
iniquities with which they charge me. The worst criminal against
human and divine laws has the right to demand thus much before he is
convicted and sentenced.

"As to your prohibition of my continued correspondence with Miss
Aylett, I shall consider her my promised wife, and write to her
regularly as such, until you have made good your indictment against
me, or until I receive the assurance under her own hand and seal
that my conduct in thus addressing her is obnoxious to herself.

"I have the honor, sir, of signing myself

"Your obedient servant,

"FREDERIC S. CHILTON."

The cool contempt of the reply to his imperative dismissal of
whatever claims the presumptuous adventurer his aunt had encouraged
believed he had upon Mabel's notice or affection, was likely to irk
Winston Aylett as more intemperate language could not. It did more.