"Extremely so," said Brendon, coldly. "You have had me watched by a detective; you threaten, through him, to have me arrested for a crime of which I am innocent, if I do not give up my attempts to gain my birthright and--" here George leaned forward--"Dorothy Ward. Do you call these actions honorable?" "How dare you?--how dare you?" was all that Derrington could say. "You should know how I dare, sir, considering I am your grandson." "I'll have you thrown out of the house." George rose. "I am willing to leave you, sir, if that is the tone you take. But as to being thrown out, that is quite another question." "Do you know who I am?" questioned the other, blustering. "Very well. You are the man who is keeping me out of my rights." "I am not!" "I say you are." The two faced one another without blenching. Derrington tried to cow George, and George refused to be cowed. It was the old lord's eyes which fell first. Brendon had youth as well as will on his side, and these dominated Derrington. For the first time in his tyrannical life he gave way. "There is no need for you to go yet," he grunted, flinging himself into a seat. "I am willing to hear what you have to say." Brendon sat down also. "I don't think I have any more to say." "Then why did you come here?" "To ask you if you consider it honorable to threaten me. I have already done so. There is no more to be said on my part." Derrington dug a pen viciously into the blotting-pad. He did not know very well what to say. Had George sworn and blustered he might have been able to talk him down and to bully him into giving way. But Brendon was perfectly calm and polite. He was not to be intimidated in any way, and the ordinary methods would not do in this case. Derrington was reduced to reason. "What is it you wish?" "I wish you to recognize my mother's marriage and to state that I am your heir." "Anything else?" sneered Derrington. "Yes. You will publicly recognize me; you will allow me an income sufficient to maintain the dignity of my real name of George Vane, and you will order Mrs. Ward to keep silent." "Mrs. Ward? What have I to do with her?" "A great deal, apparently. You told her my story, and as she does not want me to marry her daughter she will move heaven and earth to ruin me by using her knowledge." "How can she ruin you?" "I think you understand, sir. The story told by my friend Train----" "Friend! Judas, rather." "No. He is only a weak man who is as wax in the hands of a clever and pretty woman. But Mrs. Ward got sufficient out of him to place me in a somewhat perilous position." "Were you in the room where the woman was murdered? Speak plainly." "I came on here purposely to speak plainly," rejoined Brendon, dryly, "for your safety as well as for my own." "Safety, sir!" Derrington grew crimson. "What the devil do you mean?" "I mean that I can speak freely to you, as I know perfectly well that for the honor of our family----" "Our family--confound you!"