When Ran entered the morning room, where he had left his friends, he found them all there, but now gathered in a wide circle around the glowing sea coal fire in the large open grate, listening to Longman, who was giving a detailed account of his visit to the rectory and his evening with his mother. Ran drew a chair, sat down among them and made one of the audience. When the speaker had finished his story Ran turned to him and said: “Now, Longman, if you are ready you may tell me what you meant when you said that you had something to report in reference to that undutiful son of worthy John Legg,” said Ran. “Yes, sir. He has taken ‘holy orders,’ the more effectually to serve the devil, I fear. And he has been appointed by his brother-in-law to the living of Haymore parish, worth six hundred pounds, besides the rectory and glebe—all of which is in your gift, Mr. Hay.” “Indeed! And who the mischief is the gentleman’s brother-in-law?” demanded Ran. “Who but the fraudulent claimant of Haymore? Gentleman Geff, or whatever his real name may be?” “Ah!” exclaimed Ran, drawing his breath hard. “The plot seems to thicken! So the deceived wife of our Gentleman Geff, the young lady upon whom we have all wasted so much sympathy, is really no other than the pretty adventuress who left her father to seek her fortune! But I think we heard of her as Lamia Leegh.” “Well,” said Longman, “it would appear that when brother and sister left honest John Legg, their shopkeeping father, they must have changed the spelling of their names from plain Legg to mystic Leegh. The latter has a more aristocratic sound, you know. At any rate, their name was Legg; yet you heard of the girl as Leegh, and certainly the letter of the man to Mr. Campbell was signed Leegh—Cassius Leegh.” “What did the fellow write to Mr. Campbell about?” “Oh, to warn him to leave the rectory, as he himself had been appointed to the living and should enter upon his office in January, after which he should not require the assistance of a curate.” “Indeed!” again exclaimed Ran. “I think the fraudulent claimant is giving away the Haymore patronage in a very reckless way!” Longman laughed. “Let us see now how the case stands. The plot thickens so fast that it requires a little clearing. The Rev. Mr. Campbell was called to Haymore to fill the pulpit of the late Dr. Orton during the absence of the latter at Cannes, and remains in the office at a low salary until a rector is appointed to the living. And my substitute, the fraudulent claimant, has appointed his unworthy brother-in-law, who has warned the good curate to leave. Have I stated the case correctly?” “Quite so,” said Will Walling.