Why could he not put Mr. Ellerton out of the way, and thus ruin father and son at one blow! Then he could put forward Ralph’s claim, with no one to dispute it, and he would be sure to win. He felt he would never have so favorable an opportunity as now, for the smugglers were at hand to aid him, and once the thing was done, they could leave the country and enjoy their triumph without a fear of being molested. As these thoughts passed with lightning-like rapidity through his mind, he glanced askance at his nephew, wondering within himself whether it would be safe to impart to him this diabolical plan. He was a little fearful that Ralph was not quite hardened enough in sin yet, to calmly contemplate robbery and murder. At all events, it would do no harm to sound him a little upon the subject. “I don’t know about going to the trouble and expense of trying to prove your claim, Ralph,” he finally said. “I think we can come at it easier than that!” “How?” asked Ralph, looking up, surprised. “Why, I have been thinking that Ellerton must have turned most of his property into money before leaving home. I know he did before when he went abroad, and it would only take a little maneuvering to get possession of it,” he replied, winking wickedly at him. Ralph cast a quick, searching glance over his uncle’s face, and then replied, with an assumed air of indifference: “Explain yourself, if you please. I don’t understand.” “Well, if we will only say the word, the smugglers will quickly put him out of the way, and the money is ours.” “What _then_ is to become of my _honorable_ name that you have harped upon so much?” demanded Ralph, with a sneer. His uncle winced beneath this quick retort, but replied confidently: “Why, you foolish boy, don’t you see that will be easy enough then. You will have no one to dispute your claim but that puling boy, and what can he do, with no proofs, against such incontestable ones as you have?” “Then you mean for us to cage up the father for life, get possession of the property, and let my young rival go, and work or beg for his living?” Ralph said, in a manner which gave his uncle some encouragement to reveal the whole of his plan. “That is just what I mean, with one or two important alterations, which I will name,” he replied, jocosely. “I propose to cage him, as you call it, but not like his son, but rather in a wooden box, and six feet below ground, and then let the young man go to Jericho if he wants to.” “In other words, you would murder the man,” said Ralph, in a husky voice, with a pale face and stern brow. “You’ve hit it right this time, my boy!” he answered, with a wicked leer. “And now what do you think of it?” Ralph involuntarily shuddered at such bold, out-spoken treachery, and he replied in a voice of intense loathing and horror: