The change that came over Henry Bassett's face shook even Mr. Cameron. The editor's experience with all sorts and conditions of men enabled him to hide his own feelings well; so he merely stared back into the passion-distorted countenance of the Wall Street man. "You dare to come to me from that cur? He has sent you to try to squeeze money out of me--for himself and that wretched woman, and her ill-begotten brat?" "You are quite wrong, Mr. Bassett," his caller said coldly. "Your son has no idea that I have come to you in his behalf. Nor does your daughter-in-law know of it. I merely believe that you should be told their circumstances." Henry Bassett actually snorted. He tried to speak, but for the moment his rage would not let him. "The boy is doing the very best he can. He has not yet made any very great success it is true. He happens at present to be working on the _Beacon_. That is how I come to know something about his circumstances. He got woefully into debt when your grandchild was born, and is still struggling to square himself with his creditors." "Bah!" suddenly roared the rich man, starting half out of his chair and unable to control himself further. "What did he do with the ten thousand dollars he had when he walked out of my house determined to marry that wasteful, useless, luxury-loving woman? Oh, I knew what she was and I knew what she would bring him to." [Illustration: "_What did he do with the ten thousand dollars?_"] The phrases came raspingly from Henry Bassett's lips. It was plain that he felt deeply his son's defection. But the mention of ten thousand dollars-- "The boy is a fool," went on the millionaire. "Worse, he is a knave. But she made him that. The story was brought to me how he hung about certain cheap brokerage houses all that first winter that he left me. That is where that ill-gotten money went. He gambled it away, of course. Ten thousand wouldn't suit My Lady! She must have more, and the young fool doubtless tried to pyramid his capital--and lost it, instead, and as he deserved. "Sin brings its own punishment," said the millionaire harshly but impressively. "That boy was determined to marry against my command and his mother's wishes. The girl was nothing but a flibbertigibbet--a useless baggage. She had been brought up by Wetherby Gaines and his foolish wife to do nothing; and when they were dead she had nothing. All she could do was to lead my son into extravagance. "To please her--to meet her extravagant demands--he tried to double that stolen ten thousand in the market." "_Stolen?_" gasped Mr. Cameron. The millionaire was silent. He licked his lips, glaring at his visitor like a wolf. In his rage he had gone farther and said more than he had intended. But he was too angry to retract or deny the truth.