“That would be David McKenzie,” interrupted Janet interestedly.
The lawyer shook his head. “No, Madam! It would be your late husband—Alexander McKenzie!”
A blank look came over the mother’s face and for a moment she couldn’t speak. At last she stuttered, “How—how could—could—that be, sir? David was the elder!”
“No, Madam! On the contrary, Alexander was the elder by an extremely narrow margin. You knew, of course, that David and Alexander were twins?”
Mrs. McKenzie gasped. “No, I didn’t! This is the first time I ever knew of it! Poor Alec never once told me that he and David were twin brothers, and I always thought David was years older than my husband—”
The other shook his head. “No, that is not so. David may have looked older. Possibly his sedentary and rigorous manner of living made him appear that way, but your husband was older than David by a few minutes, and the birth, date and time is thus recorded in the Edinburgh Registrar’s records.” And while Donald and his mother were puzzling over what they had heard and wondering what was coming, Mr. Montgomery continued.
“Your unfortunate husband having been drowned at sea, the heir to the baronetcy was, of course, your son the Captain there. Under Sir Roderick’s instructions, an investigation was made for the next of kin some years ago, and we found that your son Donald had gone to sea in a Glasgow sailing ship and was supposed to have been drowned in Vancouver. That being the case, David McKenzie would succeed on Sir Roderick’s demise, and then would come David’s son Alastair the second,” Donald was blowing smoke-rings and smiling strangely. It was as if he had guessed something.
“Now we come to the particularly tragic aspect of this affair.” The legal gentleman paused for a fresh start. “Some ten weeks ago, Mrs. David McKenzie, the boy Alastair, Sir Roderick and a chauffeur were motoring down from Dunsany to Glasgow when the steering apparatus of the motor car broke or jammed and it plunged over the high bank into Loch Velaig. I regret to say that both Mrs. McKenzie and the boy were drowned. Sir Roderick was saved by the chauffeur, but died within a few days from the exposure in the chilly water. The chauffeur went direct to Glasgow to Mr. David’s office and told him the sad news. The shock was too much for him, evidently, for he was found dead in his chair a half an hour afterwards.”
Mrs. McKenzie was listening with horror-struck features and Donald was visibly affected at the recital of the ghastly retribution which had come to his uncle. Retribution it was ... and Donald shuddered at the horror of it. Mr. Montgomery continued with legal deliberation and calmness. “We could find no heirs, of course, and the matter was advertised in the papers. The whole story was given, and it stated that you, Captain, had been drowned in Vancouver harbor. A few days after publication in the Glasgow press, Mr. McGlashan comes to us stating that Donald McKenzie was alive and in Canada, and he told us of your running away from the ship and making believe you were drowned. He produced evidence so convincing that we got in touch with two men who had been shipmates with you, Thompson and Jenkins, and, as a result, I am here in the colonies to settle this business.” The quizzical expression came on Donald’s face again and he calmly lit another cigarette.