Gurth Egerton bit his lip and turned his face away lest Ralph should see how white it was. He was convinced that the drunkard spoke the truth, and he saw that his hopes were shattered. Ralph was married, and he would have children. Much in Gertie’s conduct lately was clear as the noon to him now, and he understood why lately she had kept out of the way when the men were about. His worst fears were realized. Ralph Egerton had swept fortune from him just as it seemed within his grasp. The pair sat in silence for full five minutes. In those five minutes a daring scheme had matured itself in the brain of the one. ‘Ralph, old boy,’ said Gurth, ‘shake hands. I’m sorry we’ve quarrelled. If I can do anything to help you and Gertie I will. It is rough on me, I own, but you’ve a perfect right to do as you like, and I shall accept my fate quietly. Let’s have a drink and shake hands.’ Gurth poured out some brandy—a little for himself, nearly a tumblerful for Ralph. ‘Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Egerton,’ said Gurth, raising his glass and sipping the contents. ‘Gertie—God bless her!’ said Ralph, pouring half the raw liquor down his throat. He put the glass down and came across to Gurth. ‘Gurth, my boy,’ he said, with a foolish smile, ‘I forgive you. I was jolly rude just now, wasn’t I? God bless you!’ And thereupon Ralph grew quite confidential, and shook hands over and over again with his cousin; and Gurth learned that the marriage was a secret as yet, that Josh didn’t know anything about it, and that Ralph had the certificate among his papers upstairs. That night Ralph was at Heckett’s, and a quarrel arose over cards. Shortly afterwards he was buried, on the certificate of Dr. Oliver Birnie, and his fortune passed into the hands of Gurth Egerton, in accordance with the old misers will; for Gertie lay out of her mind and dying slowly, and no one but Gurth himself knew of the marriage certificate. Gurth Egerton, recovering rapidly under the kind surgeon’s care from the illness which his shipwreck and long immersion had caused, sat on the deck of the _Diana_ and thought out his plans for the future. The vessel was bound for Baltimore, but he would take the first ship and go home again, What should he do when he landed in England? He had been travelling for years, leaving his affairs to be managed by his friend, Birnie. He was haunted by a constant terror, not that his crime would come to light, but that he might lose the result of it. On the last afternoon he spent with Ralph Egerton, the dipsomaniac had boasted of having the marriage certificate in his own keeping. That certificate Gurth had never been able to find among the papers of which he had taken possession.