means? it is either a medical or a legal term, and I
understand few but nautical."

"You could not apply to any man in England, Sir Gervaise, better
qualified to tell you," answered the Hertfordshire baronet, smiling
expressively. "I am a barrister of the Middle Temple, having been
educated as a younger son, and having since succeeded an elder brother,
at the age of twenty-seven; I stand in the unfortunate relation of the
'half-blood' myself, to this very estate, on which we are now
conversing."

Sir Reginald then proceeded to explain the law to the other, as we have
already pointed it out to the reader; performing the duty succinctly,
but quite clearly.

"Bless me!--bless me! Sir Reginald," exclaimed the direct-minded and
_just_-minded sailor--"here must be some mistake! A fortieth cousin, or
the king, take this estate before yourself, though you are directly
descended from all the old Wychecombes of the times of the
Plantagenets!"

"Such is the common law, Sir Gervaise. Were I Sir Wycherly's
half-brother, or a son by a second wife of our common father, I could
not take from _him_, although that common father had earned the estate
by his own hands, or services."

"This is damnable, sir--damnable--and you'll pardon me, but I can hardly
believe we have such a monstrous principle in the good, honest,
well-meaning laws, of good, honest, well-meaning old England!"

Sir Reginald was one of the few lawyers of his time, who did not
recognize the virtue of this particular provision of the common law; a
circumstance that probably arose from his having so _small_ an interest
now in the mysteries of the profession, and so _large_ an interest in
the family estate of Wychecombe, destroyed by its _dictum_. He was,
consequently, less surprised, and not at all hurt, at the evident manner
in which the sailor repudiated his statement, as doing violence equally
to reason, justice, and probability.

"Good, honest, well-meaning old England tolerates many grievous things,
notwithstanding, Sir Gervaise," he answered; "among others, it tolerates
the law of the half-blood. Much depends on the manner in which men view
these things; that which seems gold to one, resembling silver in the
eyes of another. Now, I dare say,"--this was said as a feeler, and with
a smile that might pass for ironical or confiding, as the listener
pleased to take it--"Now, I dare say, the clans would tell us that
England tolerates an usurper, while her lawful pr