Struggles, poverty, and their ufcer ruin, followed. The
poor young wife died before her baby was six months old,
and Maitland, leaving the child with his sisler, went abroad,
and perished somewhere in Southern Africa. That is the
rough history of one of the parties."

« And the other?"

"The other married old Hammond, who lived where
Grant does now. There agaii as misery. Kmma Mait-
land wanted a home, not a husLuiJ. The parties were ill-
matched, and one day she left him and her little boy \ot
aome old sweetheart. That was another step you may &e^



26 THE POTTLE'tON LEGACt

tae end of. She fell lower and lower, until at last miaetf
and disease did their worst, and she died in a London hospital.
This upset the poor man's reason. His affairs fell into diffi-
culties, and when he died he was not worth a farthing— on
the contrary, he was involved."

"It is a sad history of a family," said Mr. Page. "Then,
out Mrs. Maitland, I suppose, took charge of the children?"

"Just so. She was always thought to be decently off,
being a saving, economical woman; and she volunteered to
bring them up. This she certainly did, most creditably,
although her economy changed to absolute avarice in the
time. I certainly thought, though, when she died she would,
nt all events, leave everything between them, if the boy did
not have the preference."

"You never heard anything against young Hammond?"
asked Mr. Page.
