Hector walked out of the house in a state of mental bewilderment noteasily described. Was he not Hector Roscoe, after all? Had he been allhis life under a mistake? If this story were true, who was he, who werehis parents, what was his name? Why had the man whom he had supposed tobe his father not imparted to him this secret? He had always been kindand indulgent; he had never appeared to regard the boy as an alien inblood, but as a dearly loved son. Yet, if he had, after all, left himunprovided for, he had certainly treated Hector with great cruelty.
"I won't believe it," said Hector, to himself.
"I won't so wrong my dear father's memory at the bidding of this man,whose interest it is to trump up this story, since he and his son becomethe owners of a great estate in my place."
Just then Guy advanced toward Hector with a malicious smile upon hisface. He knew very well what a blow poor Hector had received, for hewas in his father's confidence, and he was mean enough, and maliciousenough, to rejoice at it.
"What's the matter with you, Hector?" he asked, with a grin. "You lookas if you had lost your last friend."
Hector stopped short and regarded Guy fixedly.
"Do you know what your father has been saying to me?" he asked.
"Well, I can guess," answered Guy. "Ho! ho! It's a great joke that youhave all the time fancied yourself the heir of Castle Roscoe, when youhave no claim to it at all. I am the heir!" he added, drawing himself upproudly; "and you are a poor dependent, and a nobody. It's funny!"
"Perhaps you won't think it so funny after this!" said Hector, coolly,exasperated beyond endurance. As he spoke he drew off, and in an instantGuy measured his length upon the greensward.
Guy rose, his face livid with passion, in a frame of mind far fromfunny. He clinched his fists and looked at Hector as if he wished toannihilate him. "You'll pay for this," he screamed. "You'll repent it,bitterly, you poor, nameless dependent, low-born, very likely--"
"Hold, there!" said Hector, advancing resolutely, and sternly facing theangry boy. "Be careful what you say. If this story of your father's istrue, which I don't believe, you might have the decency to let mealone, even if you don't sympathize with me. If you dare to say or hintanything against my birth, I'll treat you worse than I have yet."
"You'll suffer for this!" almost shrieked Guy.
"I am ready to suffer now, if you are able to make me," said Hector."Come on, and we'll settle it now."
But Guy had no desire for the contest to which he was invited. He had awholesome fear of Hector's strong, muscular arms, aided, as they were,by some knowledge of boxing. Hector had never taken regular lessons, buta private tutor, whom his father had employed, a graduate of Yale, hadinstructed him in the rudiments of the "manly art of self-defense," andHector was very well able to take care of himself against any boy of hisown size and strength. In size, Guy was his equal, but in strength hewas quite inferior. This Guy knew full well, and, angry as he was, he byno means lost sight of prudence.
"I don't choose to dirty my hands with you," he said. "I shall tell myfather, and it would serve you right if he sent you adrift."
In Hector's present mood, he would not, perhaps, have cared much ifthis threat had been carried into execution, but he was not altogetherreckless, and he felt that it was best to remain under Mr. Roscoe'sprotection until he had had time to investigate the remarkable storywhich he suspected his reputed uncle had trumped up to serve his owninterests.
"Tell your father, if you like," said Hector, quietly. "I don't knowwhether he will sustain you or not in your insults, but if he does, thenI shall have two opponents instead of one."
"Does that mean that you will attack my father?" demanded Guy, hopingfor an affirmative answer, as it would help him to prejudice his fatheragainst our hero.
"No," answered Hector, smiling, "I don't apprehend there will be anynecessity, for he won't insult me as you have done."
Guy lost no time in seeking his father, and laying the matter before him,inveighing against Hector with great bitterness.
"So he knocked you down, did he, Guy?" asked Allan Roscoe, thoughtfully.
"Yes; he took me unawares, or he couldn't have done it," answered Guy, alittle ashamed at the avowal.
"What did you do?"
"I--I told him he should suffer for it."
"Why did he attack you?"
"It was on account of something I said."
"What was it?"
Guy reluctantly answered this question, and with correctness.
"It was your fault for speaking to him when he was feeling sore atmaking a painful discovery."
"Do you justify him in pitching into me like a big brute?" asked Guy,hastily.
"No; but still, I think it, was natural, under the circumstances. Youshould have kept out of his way, and let him alone."
"Won't you punish him for attacking me?" demanded Guy, indignantly.
"I will speak to him on the subject," said Allan Roscoe; "and will tellhim my opinion of his act."
"Then shan't I be revenged upon him?" asked Guy, disappointed.
"Listen, Guy," said his father. "Is it no punishment that the boyis stripped of all his possessions, while you step into his place?Henceforth he will be dependent upon me, and later, upon you. He hasbeen hurled down from his proud place as owner of Castle Roscoe, and Ihave taken his place, as you will hereafter do."
"Yes," said Guy, gleefully; "it will be a proud day when I become masterof the estate."
Allan Roscoe was not a specially sensitive man, but this remark of hisson jarred upon him.
"You seem to forget, Guy, that you do not succeed till I am dead!"
"Yes, I suppose so," answered Guy, slowly.
"It almost seems as if you were in a hurry for me to die."
"I didn't mean that, but it's natural to suppose that I shall livelonger than you do, isn't it?"
"I suppose so," returned Allan Roscoe, shortly.
"Of course that's what I mean."
"Then, since you are so much better off than Hector, you had better bemore considerate, and leave him to get over his disappointment as wellas he can."
"Shall I send in Hector to see you?" asked Guy, as he at length turnedto leave the room.
"Yes."
"You're to go in to my father," said Guy, reappearing on the lawn; "he'sgoing to give it to you."
Hector anticipated some such summons, and he had remained in the samespot, too proud to have it supposed that he shrank from the interview.
With a firm, resolute step, he entered the presence of Allan Roscoe.
"I hear you wish to see me, Mr. Roscoe," he said, manfully.
"Yes, Hector; Guy has come to me with complaints of you."
"If he says I knocked him down for insulting me, he has told you thetruth," said Hector, sturdily.
"That was the substance of what he said, though he did not admit theinsult."
"But for that I should not have attacked him."
"I do not care to interfere in boys' quarrels, except in extremecases," said Mr. Roscoe. "I am afraid Guy was aggravating, and you wereunnecessarily violent."
"It doesn't seem to me so," said Hector.
"So I regard it. I have warned him not to add by taunts to the poignancyof your disappointment. I request you to remember that Guy is my son,and that I am disposed to follow my brother's directions, and providefor and educate you."
Hector bowed and retired. He went out with a more favorable opinion ofAllan Roscoe, who had treated the difficulty in a reasonable manner.
Allan Roscoe looked after him as he went out.
"I hate that boy," he said, to himself; "I temporize from motives ofpolicy, but I mean to tame his haughty spirit yet."
CHAPTER V. PREPARING TO LEAVE HOME.
Hector's Inheritance, Or, the Boys of Smith Institute Page 4