laim ▁S mi ke ▁by ▁present ing ▁for ged ▁documents ▁to ▁the ▁effect ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁the ▁long - lost ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁man ▁named ▁S na w ley ▁( who , ▁in ▁actual ity , ▁is ▁a ▁friend ▁of ▁S que ers ▁with ▁children ▁at ▁D othe bo ys ▁Hall ). ▁S mi ke ▁ref uses ▁to ▁go , ▁but ▁the ▁threat ▁of ▁legal ▁action ▁remains . ▁ ▁While ▁at ▁work , ▁Nicholas ▁enc oun ters ▁the ▁beautiful ▁young ▁woman ▁he ▁had ▁seen ▁in ▁the ▁employ ment ▁office ▁and ▁real ises ▁he ▁is ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁her . ▁The ▁brothers ▁tell ▁him ▁that ▁her ▁name ▁is ▁Mad eline ▁B ray , ▁the ▁p enn il ess ▁daughter ▁of ▁a ▁deb tor , ▁Walter ▁B ray , ▁and ▁en list ▁his ▁help ▁in ▁obtain ing ▁small ▁sums ▁of ▁money ▁for ▁her ▁by ▁commission ing ▁her ▁art work , ▁the ▁only ▁way ▁they ▁can ▁help ▁her ▁due ▁to ▁her ▁ty ran n ical ▁father . ▁ ▁Arthur ▁G ride , ▁an ▁elder ly ▁miser , ▁offers ▁to ▁pay ▁a ▁deb t ▁Ralph ▁is ▁ow ed ▁by ▁Walter ▁B ray ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁the ▁m one yl ender ' s ▁help . ▁G ride ▁has ▁il leg ally ▁gained ▁possession ▁of ▁the ▁will ▁of ▁Mad eline ' s ▁grand father , ▁and ▁she ▁will ▁become ▁an ▁he ir ess ▁upon ▁the ▁event ▁of ▁her ▁marriage . ▁The ▁two ▁m one yl enders ▁persu ade ▁B ray ▁to ▁bul ly ▁his ▁daughter ▁into ▁accepting ▁the ▁dis