"Stick to it!" counselled Mr. Green again. "A brother and sister are
bound to get tired of each other before long; it's nature."

Mr. Widden sighed and obeyed. But brother and sister showed no signs of
tiring of each other's company, while they displayed unmistakable signs
of weariness with his. And three weeks later Mr. Letts, in a few
well-chosen words, kindly but firmly dismissed him.

"I should never give my consent," he said, gravely, "so it's only wasting
your time. You run off and play."

Mr. Widden ran off to Mr. Green, but before he could get a word out
discovered that something unusual had happened. Mrs. Green, a picture of
distress, sat at one end of the room with a handkerchief to her eyes; Mr.
Green, in a condition compounded of joy and rage, was striding violently
up and down the room.

"He's a fraud!" he shouted. "A fraud! I've had my suspicions for some
time, and this evening I got it out of her."

Mr. Widden stared in amazement.

"I got it out of her," repeated Mr. Green, pointing at the trembling
woman. "He's no more her son than what you are."

"What?" said the amazed listener.

"She's been deceiving me," said Mr. Green, with a scowl, "but I don't
think she'll do it again in a hurry. You stay here," he shouted, as his
wife rose to leave the room. "I want you to be here when he comes in."