He married abroad and left one son, who seems to have been brought up in ignorance of all belonging to him.

The gulf between them appears to have been unbridgable; for in time this son married and in turn had a son, but neither joy nor sorrow brought the sundered together.

Under such conditions no _rapprochement_ was to be looked for, and an utter indifference, founded at best on ignorance, took the place of family affection--even on community of interests.

It was only due to the watchfulness of the lawyers that the birth of this new heir was ever made known.

He actually spent a few months in the ancestral home.
"After this the family interest merely rested on heirship of the estate.
As no other children have been born to any of the newer generations in the intervening years, all hopes of heritage are now centred in the grandson of this man.
"Now, it will be well for you to bear in mind the prevailing characteristics of this race.