"But you must answer me, Ben--to keep silent is foolish. Rest assured I have the best interests of my aunt and Marion at heart. Now what did she say?" "Well, sah, if yo' must know, she said as how she was gwine to leave Massah Jack half de prop'ty." St. John leaped back in amazement. "You don't mean that, Ben!" he gasped. "Yes, sah, I does mean it." "Half the property?" "Yes, sah." "He doesn't deserve it!" At this the old negro shrugged his huge shoulders. "Rackon de missus knows what she wants to do." "But it is not right--to give the boy half the estate. I suppose the other half will go to Marion." "Yes, sah." The young man's face grew pale, and he began to pace the floor again. "She never mentioned me in connection with this, did she?" "No, sah." "And yet I am her nephew." "Rackon she dun thought yo' was rich enough, Massah St. John." "Perhaps I am, Ben. But it is strange that my own flesh and blood should forget me, to take up with a nobody. Did my aunt ever speak of the particulars of what she intended to do?" "No, sah." "Humph! It's strange. I must look into this." And a few minutes later St. John Ruthven was off on horseback, in a frame of mind far from pleasant. CHAPTER VI. MRS. RUTHVEN'S STORY. "I am so glad to see you both back, safe and sound!" It was Mrs. Alice Ruthven who spoke, as she embraced first her daughter and then Jack. "And we are glad enough to get back, mother," answered Marion. "I was so frightened, even after Old Ben went after you. We watched the lightning, and when it struck the wreck----" Mrs. Ruthven stopped speaking and gave a shiver. "We weren't in such very great danger," answered Jack. Then he looked at the lady curiously. "What is it, Jack? You have something on your mind," she said quickly. The youth looked at Marian, who turned red. "I--I--that is, mother, Jack knows the truth," faltered the girl. "The truth?" repeated Mrs. Ruthven slowly. "Yes, Marion has told me the truth," said Jack, in as steady a voice as he could command. "And so I--I--am not your son." He could scarcely speak the words. "Oh, Jack!" The lady caught him in her arms. "So you know the truth at last?" She kissed him. "But you are my son, just as if you were my own flesh and blood. You are not angry at me for keeping this a secret so long? I did it because I did not wish to hurt your feelings." "No, I am not angry at you, Mrs. Ruth----" "Call me mother, Jack." "I am not angry, mother. You have been very kind to me. But it is so strange! I can't understand it all," and he heaved a deep sigh. "You have been a son to me in the past, Jack; I wish you to continue to be one." "But I have no real claim upon you." "Yes, you have, for my late husband and myself adopted you." "Marion told me that you never heard one word regarding my past." "She told the truth. We tried our best, but every effort ended in failure. Your mother called you Jack ere she died, and that was all."