The interview ended in the two men going and dining at a club, where the captain told the whole story of his father’s imagined iniquity.

Augustus received the tale almost in silence.  In reply to his brother’s authoritative, domineering speeches he said nothing.  To him it was all new, but to him, also, it seemed certainly to be untrue.  He did not at all bring himself to believe that Mr. Grey was in the conspiracy, but he had no scruple of paternal regard to make him feel that this father would not concoct such a scheme simply because he was his father.  It would be a saving of the spoil from the Amalekites, and of this idea he did give a hardly-expressed hint to his brother.

“By George,” said the captain, “nothing of the kind shall be done with my consent.”

“Why, no,” the barrister had answered, “I suppose that neither your consent nor mine is to be asked; and it seems as though it were a farce ordered to be played over the poor governor’s grave.  He has prepared a romance, as to the truth or falsehood of which neither you nor I can possibly be called as witnesses.”

It was clear to the captain that his brother had thought that the plot had been prepared by their father in anticipation of his own death.  Nevertheless, by the younger brother’s assistance, the much-needed sum of money was found for the supply of the elder’s immediate wants.

The next day was the day of terror, and nothing more was heard, either then or for the following week, of the old gentleman’s scheme.  In two days it was understood that his death might be hourly expected, but on the third it was thought that he might “pull through,” as his younger son filially expressed himself.  He was constantly with his father, but not a word passed his lips as to the property.  The elder son kept himself gloomily apart, and indeed, during a part of the next week was out of London.  Augustus Scarborough did call on Mr. Grey, but only learned from him that it was, at any rate, true that the story had been told by his father.  Mr. Grey refused to make any farther communication, simply saying that he would as yet express no opinion.

“For myself,” said Augustus, as he left the attorney’s chambers, “I can only profess myself so much astonished as to have no opinion.  I suppose I must simply wait and see what Fortune intends to do with me.”

At the end of a fortnight Mr. Scarborough had so far recovered his strength as to be able to be moved down to Tretton, and thither he went.  It was not many days after that “the world” was first informed that Captain Scarborough was not his father’s heir.  “The world” received the information with a great deal of expressed surprise and inward satisfaction,—­satisfaction that the money-lenders should be done out of their money; that a professed gambler like Captain Scarborough should suddenly become an illegitimate nobody; and, more interesting still, that a very wealthy and well-conditioned, if not actually respectable, squire should have proved himself to be a most brazen-faced rascal.  All of these were matters which gave extreme delight to the world at large.  At first there came little paragraphs without any name, and then, some hours afterward, the names became known to the quidnuncs, and in a short space of time were in possession of the very gentry who found themselves defrauded in this singular manner.