"
"But what has kept him from making known his claim to the
Saltonstalls? Are you sure he has not?" said Carroll, with a
sudden thought that it might account for Maruja's strangeness.
"Positive. He's too proud to make a claim unless he could
thoroughly prove it, and only a month ago he made me promise to
keep it dark. He's too lazy to trouble himself about it much
anyway--as far as I can see. D----d if I don't think his being a
tramp has made him lose his taste for everything! Don't worry
yourself about HIM. He isn't likely to make confidences with the
Saltonstalls, for he don't like 'em, and never went there but once.
Instinctively or not, the widow didn't cotton to him; and I fancy
Miss Maruja has some old grudge against him for that fan business
on the road. She isn't a girl to forgive or forget anything, as I
happen to know," he added, with an uneasy laugh.
Carroll was too preoccupied with the danger that seemed to threaten
his friends from this surly pretender to resent Prince's tactless
allusion. He was thinking of Maruja's ominous agitation at his
presence at Dr. West's grave. "Do they suspect him at all?"--he
asked, hurriedly.
"How should they? He goes by the name of Guest--which was his
father's real name until changed by an act of legislation when he
first came here. Nobody remembers it. We only found it out from
his papers. It was quite legal, as all his property was acquired
under the name of West."
Carroll rose and buttoned his overcoat.
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