"How can I trust you after what has passed?" asked Robert, suspiciously.
"Don't trust me till I show myself worthy of trust. I am prepared to do more for you than any man living."
"What do you mean?"
"Suppose that I tell you who you are, that I restore you to your relatives, that I secure for you the inheritance of a large estate, would you consider that I am making atonement for my offence?"
"Can you do this?" asked Robert, eagerly.
"I can," answered Fitzgerald.
"What are your terms, for I suppose that you do not work for nothing?"
"I stipulate nothing. When I have succeeded and you come to your own I will trust to your generosity. If that seems strange to you, I don't mind telling you that I have a selfish motive. I wish to revenge myself upon the man who occupies your place, and whom you will disinherit."
"Will you give me fuller information?" asked Robert. "Will you let me know who I am and how I came to lose my home?"