“It is not cynicism, Mr. Whitney; it is the plain truth.  I have always known that the Mainwarings as a family were mercenary; but I confess I had no idea, until within the last few days, that they were capable of such beastly ingratitude.”

“Do you mean to say that it is a trait of the entire Mainwaring family, or only of this branch in particular?” he inquired, somewhat amused.

“All the Mainwarings are noted for their worship of the golden god,” she replied, with a low musical laugh; “but Ralph Mainwaring’s love of money is almost a monomania.  He has planned and schemed to get that old piece of English property into his hands for years and years, in fact, ever since it was willed to Hugh Mainwaring at the time his brother was disinherited, and the name he gave to his son was the first stone laid to pave the way to this coveted fortune.”

“I see.  Pardon me, Miss Carleton; but you just now alluded to Hugh Mainwaring’s brother.  I remember some mention was made at the inquest of a brother, but I supposed it must be an error.  Had he really a brother?”

“Ah, yes, an elder brother; and he must have been less avaricious than the rest of them, as he sacrificed a fortune for love.  It was quite a little romance, you know.  He and his brother Hugh were both in love with the same lady.  The father did not approve, and gave his sons their choice between love without a fortune or a fortune without love.  Hugh Mainwaring chose the latter, but Harold, the elder, was true to his lady, and was consequently disinherited.”

“Poor Hugh Mainwaring!” commented the attorney; “he made his choice for life of a fortune without love, and a sad life it was, too!”

Miss Carleton glanced up with quick sympathy.  “Yes, it seemed to me his life must have been rather lonely and sad.”

There was a pause, and she added, “And did he never speak to you, his intimate friend, of his brother?”

“Never.”

“Strange!  Perhaps he was like the others, after all, and thought of nothing but money.”

“No, I cannot believe that of Hugh Mainwaring,” the attorney replied, loyally; then added, “What became of the brother, Miss Carleton?”

“He was lost at sea.  He had started for Africa, to make a fortune for himself, but the boat was wrecked in a storm and every one on board was lost.”

“And his family, what of them?” queried the attorney.

“He had no children, and no one ever knew what became of his wife.  The Mainwarings are a very prosaic family; that is the only bit of romance in their history; but I always enjoyed that, except that it ended so sadly, and I always admired Harold Mainwaring.  I would like to meet such a man as he.”

“Why, I should say there was a romance in progress at present in the Mainwaring family,” said Mr. Whitney, smiling.