“His record is not a desirable one, I believe,” answered the lawyer. “I don’t know whether you have heard that, among other things, he stole the small capital left to his cousin,” Vickers went on. “Yes, I have heard it rumored.” “As you may imagine, that did not help the home atmosphere. It did not tend to make Nellie cordial. In fact, you must often have wondered at my indifference to your offers of better positions. Nellie had threatened to have me arrested as a thief if I should attempt to leave Hilltop; and though it would not have been very difficult to prove that I was not Lee, it would have been confoundedly awkward to defend myself as Vickers, and be extradited back to New York.” “Yes, it is a pretty predicament,” said Overton, “but there are still some minor points I do not understand. For instance, I can’t see any reason why you have not told your cousin--Miss Nellie, I mean--that you are not Lee.” “Why, I have. I did at once. She laughed in my face and intimated that I had always been an infernal liar. You see, one of the troubles is that as soon as I told them that I was Lee, every one remembered me perfectly. Why, sir, it was like a ray of light when you said you found me changed. No one else did.” “I see,” said Overton. “And now one thing more. Why didn’t you bolt at once?” “I’ve just told you.” “What, a threat of arrest? Hardly strong enough as a motive for a man like you. You have taken bigger risks than that, in your time. Why did you not take the chance now?” Vickers paused, and a slight frown contracted his brow. “It would be hard to say--” he began, and stopped again. The two men looked at each other and Overton smiled. “Might I offer a possible explanation?” he said. “Oh, very well,” returned Vickers. “Yes. I don’t want to leave her. Is that so odd?” “So natural that I guessed before you said it. You are, in fact, in love with her?” “I suppose that is about what it amounts to,” the other said; and added with more vigor, “and if I stay here another day, I shall do bodily violence to the man she is engaged to.” “In that case,” remarked Overton dispassionately, “I advise you to go. Emmons is an honest, able little fellow, who will take care of her, and her life has not been an easy one.” “Don’t say that to me,” said Vickers; “the mere idea of his taking care of her sickens me. For that matter, I could take care of her myself.” “Possibly,” said Overton, “but by your own showing you would have to choose your State.” Vickers rose and began to walk up and down the room. “Well,” he observed at length, “if you advise me to go without even having heard the offer that tempts me--This evening a very good old friend of mine turned up from Central America. It seems they have been having an election down there--an election which bears some resemblance to a revolution. A fellow called Cortez has been elected----” “Odd,” murmured the lawyer. “I read the item in the paper, without the smallest interest.”