“That has been a mystery to everybody, and one that has remained unsolved to this day. He was known to have given twenty thousand dollars to a blind asylum in Philadelphia several years previous to his death; but what became of the remainder of his fortune, which must have been very large, has been a question that has puzzled all who knew him. I think, however, he must have given away large sums at different times, and it was all distributed before he died, for no papers of any kind and no will were ever found.” “Was Miss Annie Dale a relative of this eccentric old bachelor?” Everet inquired. “Yes; she was his niece, his own brother’s child; but he never had anything to do with the family. There was some trouble between himself and his brother during their youth, and he never forgot or forgave the grudge. Even after the girl’s father died, he refused to have anything to do with either mother or daughter, although I have heard that they were at times very needy.” “Did you ever see the girl?” “No; my home, as you know, was in Richmond. I was not married, and did not go to Vue de l’Eau until some three years or more after she disappeared.” “Do you know the name of the family to whom she went as governess?” “No.” Mrs. Mapleson seemed to grow somewhat weary of the conversation. “It is very strange what became of her,” her son murmured, reflectively. “Do you imagine there was any foul play about her disappearance?” “Oh, no, indeed. She probably met some clever young man who fell in love with her and married her. I do not know much about the matter anyway, only that she was entirely alone in the world, and I do not know as there was anything so very remarkable about her going off and never coming back again. But, mercy! Everet, I do not care to sit here all day and talk about the Dales, even for the sake of making out your handsome orator to belong to them, which is not at all probable. Come, I want to look about a little.” Mrs. Mapleson arose as she spoke, thus putting an end to their long talk, and her son dutifully attended her wherever she wished to go; but he became more and more convinced that Annie Dale, who had so mysteriously disappeared many years ago, and Geoffrey Dale Huntress were in some way connected with each other. He knew that there was some Mapleson blood in the Dale veins, although it was a good way back, and he believed that accounted for Geoffrey’s singular resemblance to himself. “I’ll wager that there is some story of shame at the bottom of Annie Dale’s disappearance,” he thought; “and if I can ferret it out and fasten it upon him, Gladys Huntress will never marry him. I’ll look into this matter as soon as I go home.” CHAPTER XIX. EVERET MAPLESON RETURNS TO VUE DE L’EAU. Everet Mapleson conducted his mother to Sheffield Hall, thence to the Divinity Colleges, the Marquand Chapel and Library, and finally to the Peabody Museum.