“Almost three years ago,” Overton answered, and there was silence until, seeing Emmons about to break out again, Nellie said mildly, “Really, James, if I can bear it, I think you might.” “The sacrifices you made--” Emmons began, but she stopped him. “Blood is thicker than water. It would be a pretty poor sort of world if men did not love their own children better than other people’s.” “Oh, if you are satisfied,” said Emmons bitterly; and then changed his sentence but not his tone. “All I can say is I am glad you all are pleased.” “You have not given us much of a chance to say whether we were or not,” suggested Vickers mildly. Emmons turned on him. “I don’t have to ask whether you are satisfied or not. I don’t imagine that you have any complaint to make.” “None at all,” said Vickers. “Do you mean to tell me that you would take that property?” Emmons demanded. “What are you talking about, James?” said Nellie. “Of course Bob will take what his father leaves to him.” “I shall have my opinion of him if he does.” “Well,” said Vickers, “if anything could separate me from an inheritance, it would certainly be the fear of Mr. Emmons’s criticism.” “I shall only call your attention to one thing,” said Emmons, flushing slightly. “Does it ever strike you, Mr. Bob _Lee_, to ask what it was saved you from criminal prosecution twelve years ago? No? Well, I’ll tell you. Respect for your father, and the fact that you did not have any money. Both of these conditions have changed to-day.” Vickers turned to Overton as if he had not heard. “I wonder,” he said, “if we could not talk over family affairs more comfortably if there were no outsiders present.” “James is not an outsider,” said Nellie. “He is to me,” said Vickers. “If he goes, I go too,” Nellie answered. “In that case,” said Vickers, “of course he must be allowed to stay, but perhaps you will be so good as to ask him, if he must be here, not to interrupt----” “Come, come,” said Overton hastily, “can’t we effect some compromise in this matter? As I understand it, Mr. Emmons believes that certain sums are owed Miss Nellie by you----” “Compromise be damned, Overton,” said Vickers. “You know this money is not mine, and I won’t touch it.” Nellie started up. “The money is yours, Bob. My uncle would never have pinched and saved to pay me back. The money exists only because he loved you so much. It is yours.” Vickers smiled at her. “I am glad,” he said, “that I do not have to argue that extremely sophistical point with you. The reason that the money is not mine is--I hate to repeat a statement that you asked me not to make again--but I am not Bob Lee.” He had the satisfaction of seeing that, for the first time, she weighed the possibility of the assertion’s being true. “What does he mean, Mr. Overton?” she asked. “He means he is not the person he represented himself as being.”