"I will resist!" she declared. "Even if the memorandum is in Mr. Lane's handwriting, I shall claim that he was not in sound mind when he wrote it." She must have a lawyer, however. There was another lawyer in Portville, and she summoned him. "Mr. Bacon," she said, "a dastardly attempt has been made to swindle me out of thirty thousand dollars. The claimant is John Graves." "But, Mrs. Lane, Mr. Graves is a man of the highest standing." "I don't care! He is trying to swindle me now!" "Please give me the particulars." "I refer you to Enoch Perkins, whom he has engaged as counsel. He will give you all the information you require. I want you to act as my lawyer." Mr. Bacon bowed. "I will call on Lawyer Perkins," he said, "and see you again to-morrow morning." The next morning he called. "Well," he said, "I have seen Mr. Perkins." "Well?" "And I believe the claim of Mr. Graves to be genuine." "He can't get the money on a mere memorandum." "It might be difficult; but this suit would ruin your reputation for honesty. Everybody will believe Mr. Graves." "Let them do it! I will keep the money!" She said this between her set teeth. "There is another little circumstance," said the lawyer, "which will make your case a desperate one." "What is it?" "Mr. Graves has your late husband's receipt for the money." "It is a forgery!" she said, hoarsely. "No, it is not. I have examined it, and can safely pronounce it to be in Mr. Lane's handwriting. I am very familiar with his handwriting, and so, indeed, are dozens of others in the town." Mrs. Lane was silent, and her face showed her keen disappointment. "Then you don't see any chance for me?" she said, in a low voice—"you don't see any chance for me?" "None whatever." "But it will ruin me. The interest will amount to a large sum." "Mr. Perkins tells me that Mr. Graves will waive interest." "I will let you know my decision to-morrow." Mrs. Lane announced the next day that she would not resist the claim. It was a bitter disappointment, but she would have twenty thousand dollars left. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XXXVII CONCLUSION THREE days later Gerald and Mr. Nixon reached Portville. They called at once on Mr. Nugent, who received the old man kindly and cordially. "Mr. Nugent," said Tom Nixon, "I have come prepared to pay you the interest on the amount of my defalcation." "Give it to Gerald. I don't want it." "I have already given Gerald ten thousand dollars, and when I die he will have all that I leave behind me." Mr. Nugent looked much pleased. He grasped the hand of his old debtor cordially, and said: "I am pleased to hear it. Then you found Gerald of assistance to you?" "But for him I should not have been living to-day. He has done everything for me." "Probably you wondered at my choice of a messenger at first?"