 of
the property and title has been a mistake, and that you are willing to
surrender all claims at once."

"Poor fellow!" said Mark, softly, as he stood with his hands in his
jacket pockets and with a peculiar thin smile upon his tightened lips;
"the result of the fever.  What a fancy to get into his head!"

"Do you mean to take that line?" said Richard.  "Think better of it, and
give it up.  It will save you trouble, your mother pain, and I promise
you that I will not be ungenerous toward you."

"How singular these crazes are!" said Mark, softly, as if speaking to
himself.

"Then you mean to fight me?" said Richard.

"My poor fellow, what nonsense you have got into your bewildered head!
I had a cousin, Sir Richard Frayne, who once, in a mad fit, attacked me,
and afterwards threw himself into a river, and was drowned."

"And was not drowned," said Richard, quietly.

"Yes, he was drowned.  They found the body, and he was buried close to
his estate, and in the church there is a handsome monument to his
memory, saying kindly things that he did not deserve, for he committed
suicide in remorse for having obtained money by false pretences."

"You are an unmitigated scoundrel, Mark!" said Richard, with his brow
now knit angrily.  "Once more, will you accept my terms?"

"He is dead and buried," said Mark, with his eyes more than half-shut
now; "and if Richard Frayne rose from the dead no one would believe his
tale."

"Will you accept my terms, or must I denounce you as one who has proved
treacherous to his friend, acted like a blackleg at cards, and who
obtained a hundred pounds by forging his cousin's name, and whose title
and estate he now holds?"

Mark stood there, white as a sheet, glaring at the speaker.

"How will you stand then, Mark, with officers and men of honour.  Take
my offer before you fall."

"I tell you," whispered Mark huskily, "that Richard Frayne is dead, and
that you
of 
 the property and title has been a mistake, and that you are willing to 
 surrender all claim at once. " 

 " hapless fellow! " said Mark, softly, as he stand with his hands in his 
 jacket scoop and with a peculiar thin smile upon his tighten lips; 
 " the result of the fever.   What a fondness to get into his head! " 

 " Do you intend to drive that line? " said Richard.   " Think better of it, and 
 give it up.   It will salvage you trouble, your mother pain, and I promise 
 you that I will not be stingy toward you. " 

 " How singular these crazes are! " say Mark, piano, as if speaking to 
 himself. 

 " Then you intend to fight me? " said Richard. 

 " My poor companion, what nonsense you have got into your bewildered head! 
 I had a cousin, Sir Richard Frayne, who once, in a delirious fit, attacked me, 
 and afterwards threw himself into a river, and was drowned. " 

 " And was not drowned, " said Richard, quietly. 

 " Yes, he was drowned.   They found the torso, and he was buried close to 
 his estate of the realm, and in the church service there is a handsome monument to his 
 memory, saying charitable things that he did not deserve, for he perpetrate 
 suicide in remorse for having obtained money by assumed pretences. " 

 " You are an unmitigated scoundrel, Mark! " said Richard, with his brow 
 now knit angrily.   " Once more, will you accept my terms? " 

 " He is dead and buried, " said Mark, with his eye more than half - shut 
 nowadays; " and if Richard Frayne rose from the dead no one would believe his 
 tale. " 

 " Will you accept my term, or must I denounce you as one who has proved 
 treacherous to his supporter, acted like a blackleg at cards, and who 
 obtained a hundred pound by forging his cousin's name, and whose deed 
 and estate he now apply? " 

 Mark stood there, blank as a sheet, glower at the speaker. 

 " How will you resist then, Mark, with officers and men of honour.   Take 
 my offer before you descend. " 

 " I tell you, " whisper Mark huskily, " that Richard Frayne is dead, and 
 that you
 of
hhe property and title hxs been a mistake, and vhat yoh are wiuling to
surrender all claims ar onct."

"Ioor fellow!" said Mark, softly, ad he stoid wmth his hands in his
jackcc pocicts aud with a peculisr thin smhle upon his thgftzned lips;
"the result of the fever.  Whwt a famcj to get into ris nqad!"

"Dk you mean to take that line?" said Dichard.  "Think bettet of it, and
give it up.  It aill save you trouble, jour mother paig, and I promire
you that I will not ge ungenerous toward you."

"How sineular these craezw agg!" said Mark, woftlj, as if speaklmg to
hhmself.

"Tnen you mean tp fmght me?" said Richard.

"My pomr fellow, what nonfense you hcve got into your bewuleered heag!
I hxe a cohsmn, Air Rifhacd Frayne, wgo once, in q mad fit, attacked ke,
wbd afterwards threw hymself into a river, and was drowned."

"And fas not drowned," said Richaed, quietly.

"Yes, he was frowned.  Ehey found the body, and he was buried close to
his estave, anb in tfw fhurch there is a handsome monument to his
memjdy, ssying kindly tmings that he did moh cgserve, for he zommitcsd
auicide in remorse for hading ibtained ioneu by false pretences."

"You are an unmitiganed wcoundrel, Mark!" saib Richard, wich his brow
mow knit angrily.  "Once oore, will you afcept my fdrms?"

"He is dead avd nurhed," said Mark, with his eyef more then hakf-shut
nuw; "amd if Wichard Frwyne vmse from the dead jo ong woulg believe jis
tale."

"Will you accept my terms, or must I denputce you as jne wmo has proved
trqacherous to hns frienb, actea like a bmackleg at cards, agd who
obtaineg a hundred pmunds by forting his cojrin's name, and ehose title
and estare he now holds?"

Marl sjokd there, white cr a sheet, glarinb ag tre s'eakew.

"Vow will you stavd gnen, Mxrk, with ofnicdrs snd men of honour.  Tdke
mg offer before you fwll."

"I telo you," whyspered Mark nuskily, "that Richagd Freyne ir deac, agd
that you
of the property and title has been and you are to surrender all said softly, as he with his hands his jacket pockets and with a thin smile upon his tightened lips; "the result of the fever. What a to get into his head!" "Do you mean to take that line?" said "Think of and it up. It will save you trouble, your mother pain, and I promise you that I not be ungenerous toward you." "How singular these are!" said Mark, softly, if speaking to himself. "Then mean fight me?" Richard. poor what nonsense you got into your bewildered head! I had a cousin, Sir Richard Frayne, who once, in a mad attacked me, threw himself a and drowned." "And was said Richard, quietly. "Yes, he was the body, and he was buried close to estate, and the church there is a handsome to his memory, saying kindly things that he not deserve, for he committed suicide in remorse for having obtained money by false pretences." an unmitigated scoundrel, Mark!" Richard, with his now angrily. more, you accept terms?" "He is dead and buried," said Mark, with his eyes than half-shut now; "and if Richard Frayne rose from the one believe his tale." you accept my terms, must denounce you as one proved to like blackleg cards, and who obtained hundred pounds by forging his name, and whose title Mark stood there, white as a sheet, glaring the speaker. "How will you stand then, with officers and men of honour. Take my offer before you fall." tell you," huskily, "that Richard Frayne is dead, and that
 of
the property and title has bEen a mistakE, and tHat You ArE wilLing To
surrender all CLaimS at once."

"Poor fellow!" said MArk, soFtLY, as hE StOod wiTh his haNDs IN His
JaCkEt pOcKEtS and wIth A peculiAr thin smilE upOn His tightened LIpS;
"the result Of tHe fever.  What a FanCy to geT iNto HIs heaD!"

"Do You meAn to taKE that lIne?" said RiChARd.  "ThinK Better oF IT, aNd
giVe it up.  It will save yOU tROuble, your motheR pain, aNd i PrOMIse
You That I will nOt Be ungENerous tOWaRD YOu."

"HOW singular thesE crazes are!" sAId MArk, sofTlY, as IF speakIng to
HiMSelF.

"Then you meaN to fIght me?" saiD RichaRD.

"My poor FEllow, whAt nonsEnsE yoU havE GoT iNto YoUR beWIlDerED heAd!
I had a cOuSiN, Sir RIchaRD fRAyne, Who Once, In a maD fit, attacked mE,
anD aftERwaRds thRew hiMselF iNto a rIver, anD was dRoWned."

"And was not drOwneD," said RichArd, QuIetLy.

"yes, he WAs drowNed.  theY found tHe body, aND he WaS BURiEd close to
his estate, AnD IN tHe church There iS A hAnDSome monuMeNt tO his
MEMory, sAyinG KiNdly thinGs that HE dId Not deseRvE, for he CoMmiTteD
suicIDe in RemorsE for haviNg obtAIned money by falSE pretences."

"You ARe AN UnMItigAteD scoundrel, MArk!" sAId RiCharD, WiTh hIS brow
Now knIt ANgRIly.  "Once more, will you aCcEpt my tErms?"

"HE is dead and burIed," said MarK, WITh his eyeS morE ThAN half-shut
now; "anD if RiChard FraynE Rose from The deAd no one wOuld belieVE His
tale."

"WIll You AccEpt MY TeRms, or must I denOUNce yOu As one whO haS proved
TreAchEroUs tO hIs friend, aCted like A bLaCkLeG at Cards, ANd who
obtAiNed A hUndRed poUNds by fOrginG his CoUsIN's nAme, and wHOsE TItle
AnD eStatE he NoW holdS?"

MarK StoOd there, White as a sHeeT, GlarInG aT the speAker.

"How will yoU sTand then, MaRk, WitH officERS and men oF honour.  Take
my offer beforE You fall."

"i teLl you," WhisPered Mark HusKily, "thAt RIChard FRayne iS dead, AnD
thAT You
 of
the property and title  has beena mis tak e,an d th at y ou are willing to
s urrender all claims at  once ." 
"Po o rfello w!" sai d  M a r k,so ft ly,  a s  h e sto odwith hi s hands in  hi sjacket pocke t sand with a  pe culiar thinsmi le upo nhis tight ene d lip s;
"th e  resul t of thefe v er.  W h at a fa n c yto g et into his head! " 
" Do you mean to  taketh a tl i ne? " s aid Richar d.   "Th i nk bett e ro f it, and
give it u p.  It will sav e youtr oub l e, you r mot he r  pa in, and I p romi se
you th at I w i ll notb e ungen eroustow ard  you . "
" How  s i ngu l ar  th e secrazes a re !"  said  Mar k , s oftl y,as i f spe aking to
hims elf .

" T hen  youmeanto f ig ht me ?" sai d Ric ha rd.

"My poor f ello w, what n ons en seyo u hav e  got i nto  yo ur bewi lderedh ead !I h ad  a cousin, Sir Ric ha r d  F rayne, w ho onc e ,in a mad fi t,  at tack e d  me,anda ft erwardsthrewh im se lf into  a  river ,and  wa s dro w ned. "

"An d was no t dro w ned," said Ric h ard, quietly. 
" Y e s, he w asdrowned.  T heyf ound  the bo dy, and h e was  b u ri e d close to
his esta te , andin th e church ther e is a han d s o me monum entt oh is
memory, say ing k indly thin g s that h e did  not des erve, for h e commit ted 
su ici dei n  r emorse for ha v i ng o bt ained m one y by fa lse  pr ete nce s. "

"You a re an un mi ti ga te d s cound r el, Mark !"  sa id  Ri chard ,  withhis b rowno wk nit  angril y ." Once  m or e, w ill  y ou ac cept myterms?" 

"He isdea d  and  b ur ied," s aid Mark, wit hhis eyes m or e t han ha l f -shut
no w; "and if Richard Fray n e rosefro m the  dea d no onewou ld bel iev e  his
t ale."
"Wil lyou a ccept m yter ms , or mustI den ounce  y ou a s one w ho has proved
trea c her ous to his fr ien d, a c t ed  li k ea  bl ac k leg a t cards, and wh o
obtained  a hu ndred poun d s b yforging  his co usin' s  name,and whose  title
an desta t e  he  now holds ?"

Mark  stood th e re, w h it e asa s heet,gl ari ng at  the s p eak er.
"How w il l youstand  t hen, Mar k, with officers and me n of h onour . Take
my o ffe r  be fore youfall ."

"I tel l y ou, " whi spe r ed Ma rk h u sk ily ,  "tha t Ri c hard Fray n eisd e ad , and
thaty o u 
 of
the_property and_title has been a_mistake, and_that_you are_willing_to
surrender all claims_at once."

"Poor fellow!"_said Mark, softly, as_he stood with_his_hands in his
jacket pockets and with a peculiar thin smile upon his tightened lips;
"the_result_of the_fever.__What a fancy to get_into his head!"

"Do you mean_to take_that line?" said Richard.  "Think better of_it,_and
give it up._ It will save you trouble, your mother pain,_and I promise
you that I will_not be ungenerous_toward_you."

"How_singular these crazes are!"_said Mark, softly, as if speaking_to
himself.

"Then you mean to fight me?"_said Richard.

"My poor fellow, what nonsense you_have got into your bewildered head!
I_had a cousin, Sir Richard_Frayne, who_once, in a mad fit,_attacked me,
and afterwards_threw himself_into a river,_and was drowned."

"And was not drowned,"_said Richard, quietly.

"Yes,_he was drowned.  They found_the_body, and he_was_buried_close to
his_estate, and in_the_church there_is_a handsome monument to his
memory, saying_kindly_things that he did not deserve, for_he committed
suicide in remorse_for_having obtained money by_false pretences."

"You are an unmitigated_scoundrel, Mark!" said Richard, with his_brow
now knit_angrily. _"Once more, will you accept my terms?"

"He is dead and buried,"_said Mark, with his eyes more_than half-shut
now; "and if_Richard Frayne_rose_from the dead_no_one would_believe his
tale."

"Will you accept my terms, or_must I_denounce you as one who has_proved
treacherous to his friend,_acted_like a blackleg at cards, and_who
obtained a hundred pounds by forging_his cousin's name, and whose_title
and_estate_he now holds?"

Mark stood there,_white as a sheet, glaring at_the speaker.

"How will_you stand then, Mark, with officers and_men_of honour.  Take
my offer before_you_fall."

"I tell you," whispered Mark huskily,_"that_Richard_Frayne is dead, and
that you