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 "Mr. Banger, that man is trying—he wants to—"

Without any regard to Gerald's voice Jennison began in a hard but reasonably controlled manner:

"Mr. Banger, I think it is as I told you. I have been telling that young man there that you and I have suspected his imposture, and the help he has taught this little scamp here to give him. I've begged him to make a clean breast of it. He has confessed, under my promise to intercede for them both with you and others. His name is Samuel Peters, and he has run away from a Boston orphan asylum with this younger lad. They are both very sorry that they have tried to play the parts of those unfortunate boys mentioned in the papers, but—"

Touchtone was aghast at this astonishing statement. Yet if his foe chose to resort to new falsehoods he would ignore them for the truth.

"That is a lie!" he burst forth. "Do you know who that man is, Mr. Banger? He is Winthrop Jennison, who owns the island opposite Chantico, and—"