Year: 1876

A proud, stern man was Godfrey
Peyton, and rich withal in wealth
and honors.


He had won distinction at the bar
and on the bench.


How deeply his proud heart had
suffered, those familiar only with his
cold and naughty bearing would have
been surprised to know.


Not very early in life he married
one whom he had long loved with an
ardent devotion, often characteristic
in men like him, und of which weaker
natures are incapable.


in his early struggles with poverty
he had kept his love a secret


He would have let his heart break
sooner than have it whispered that
he was seeking advancement through
an alliance with rich old Ronald
Mason's daughter.


But when he could hold up his head
with the highest in the land, he no
longer hesitated to speak the words he
had been SO many years waiting to
utter, and which Alice Mason had been
as many waiting to hear.


A few years of unalloyed felicity
followed their marriage.


Though proud and stern as ever to
the outside world, not the same man
was Geoffrey Peyton at home, his
wife by his side and his bright-eyed
boy prattliDg on his knee.


There he forgot his pride, save that
he felt in those he loved, forgot fame
and ambition and greatness, and re-
membered only that he was happy.
Then came blow which fell none
the lighter on proud mans head
because he gave no sign of yielding.


Death crossed his threshold and
took from him first his wife and then
his child


The child had gone for a walk with
his nurse by the river side, and in q
moment of inattention on the part of
the nurse, had strayed out of sight.


Soon after, his hat was found float
ing on the water.


Alarm was given; search was made;
the river was dragged;but in vain.


The child was nowhere to be found.


The body, in all likelihood, had
been borne out by the tide.


Godfrey Peyton bore his loss in
silence.


What his grief was no one knew,
for no one was permitted to look upon
it, and sympathy he would have re-
sented as an impertinence.


Years sped, and Godfrey beyton had
become an old man.


AT his death, his large fortune
would descend by law to a distant
relative, young man whose avarice
kept him free from all costly vices,
and who, all vices being costly, en-
joyed, in consequence, an excellent
reputation.


But Mr Peyton had opinions of
his own as to the disposition of his
property.


Like many men Of his caste, he had
an aversion to the division of estates;
and while not inclined to disinherit
his kinsman, of whom he knew moth
ing but his reputation, which, we
have already said, was good, there was
one other whose claims he felt it
would be unjust to overlook.


He had brought up in his house,
and in some sort adopted Gertrude
Gray, the orphan daughter of an old
friend, to whom he had been be-
holden in his days of struggle, and
who had died, leaving his only child
destitute.


Mr.. Peyton's plans, duly set forth
in his will, are to settle his property,
in equal proportions, on Gertrude and
his kinsman, provided they married
each other in a given period.


If either declined the match, the
share of the one declining was to go
to the other; and if both declined,
the whole was given in trust for GER
tain charities.


Three years after the occurrences of
which we are now to speak, George
Hayne had sought and obtained en-
p1oyment of Mr.. Peyton as his Sec
retary.


The young man proved faithful and
diligent manifestlng, moreover, quail
ties of intellect, which induced his
employer to encourage the devotion of
his leisure time to course of legal
study.


George made so good use of his op-
portunities, that by the end of two
years he vas prepared for admission
to the bar.


He had learned other things besides
law in the meantime.


He had learned, for instance, how
pretty Gertrude Gray was, and how
devotedly he loved her; though he was
too straightforward to tell her so with
out first asking permission of Mr..
Peyton, with whom, at last he sought
an interview for that purpose.


Modestly, but unreservedly, the
young man explained the state of
his feelings, and was about to express
the hope that he might be allowed to
speak to Gertrude herself on the
subject, when Mr. Peyton cut it short.


''Is this the return you make for
my confidence" he exclaimed syou
whom l have trusted and taken so
much interest inpn


81 am unconscious, sir, of having