ve, in connection with the motive for this singular
proceeding of the baronet.

"Sir Gervaise--Rotherham--Mr. Atwood," slowly repeated the patient, his
eye passing from the face of one to that of another, as he uttered the
name of each; "three witnesses--that will do--Thomas said--must have
_three_--three _good_ names."

"What can we do to serve you, Sir Wycherly?" inquired the admiral, with
real interest. "You have only to name your requests, to have them
faithfully attended to."

"Old Sir Michael Wychecombe, Kt.--two wives--Margery and Joan. Two
wives--two sons--half-blood--Thomas, James, Charles, and Gregory,
_whole_--Sir Reginald Wychecombe, _half_. Understand--hope--gentlemen?"

"This is not being very clear, certainly," whispered Sir Gervaise; "but,
perhaps by getting hold of the other end of the rope, we may under-run
it, as we sailors say, and come at the meaning--we will let the poor man
proceed, therefore. Quite plain, my dear sir, and what have you next to
tell us. You left off without saying only _half_ about Sir Reginald."

"Half-blood; only _half_--Tom and the rest, whole. Sir Reginald, no
_nullius_--young Tom, a _nullius_."

"A _nullius_, Mr. Rotherham! You understand Latin, sir; what can a
_nullius_, mean? No such rope in the ship, hey! Atwood?"

"_Nullius_, or _nullius_, as it ought sometimes to be pronounced, is the
genitive case, singular, of the pronoun _nullus; nullus, nulla, nullum_;
which means, 'no man,' 'no woman,' 'no thing.' _Nullius_ means, 'of no
man,' 'of no woman,' 'of no thing.'"

The vicar gave this explanation, much in the way a pedagogue would have
explained the matter to a class.

"Ay-ay--any school-boy could have told that, which is the first form
learning. But what the devil can 'Nom. _nullus, nulla, nullum_; Gen.
_nullius, nullius, nullius_,' have to do with Mr. Thomas Wychecombe, the
nephew and heir of the present baronet?"

"That is more than I can inform you, Sir Gervaise," answered the vicar,
stiffly; "but, for the Latin, I will take upon myself to answer, that it
is good."

Sir Gervaise was too-well bred to laugh, but he found it difficult to
suppress a smile.

"Well, Sir Wycherly," resumed the vice-admiral, "this is quite
plain--Sir Reginald is only _half_, while your nephew Tom, and the rest,
are _whole_--Margery and Joan, and all that. Any thing more to tell us,
my dear sir?"

"Tom _not_ whole--_nullus_, I wish to say. Sir Reginald _half_--no
_nullus_."