At length the uncle bent his gaze more particularly on Carlos. It was impossible to tell the thoughts that occupied his mind. Finally he said:
“You’re his son?”
“I am your brother’s son,” replied Carlos.
“I suppose it is unnecessary to ask what that means?” said Colonel Conrad, holding up the card edged with black.
“You can readily imagine,” said Carlos, with difficulty controlling his emotion.
The old man bowed his head for an instant, and then looking up again, said, impatiently:
“Well, well, why don’t you be seated? What are you standing up for? There are plenty of chairs.”
The cousins smiled, and acted on the hint thus conveyed.
“I’m a wonderfully forgiving man,” began Colonel Conrad; “if I were not, I wouldn’t so much as suffer your presence in sight of my house.” He was addressing himself to Carlos. “You know the old saying is that the sins of the fathers shall be visited on the children, and I ought to visit the sins of your father on you; for you know how he deeply wronged me, or at least you ought to know it, for if hedidn’t confess it on his dying bed I should have but little hope for his future——”
“Colonel Conrad,” interrupted Carlos, endeavoring to control himself so as to appear calm, “you must not talk in that way. I’ll not hear it—no, not even from you. Your dead brother was a good man, and I, his son, will not hear his name traduced.”