be easily ascertained," said Sir Philip Hastings; "and I am
afraid, my dear madam, if that should prove the case, you will have no
remedy but to give up the property."

"But is not that very hard?" asked Mrs. Hazleton, "the Marlows certainly
had the money."

"That will make no difference," replied Sir Philip, musing; "this young
man's grand-uncle may have wronged your father; but he is not
responsible for the act, and I am very much afraid, moreover, that his
claim may not be limited to the property itself. Back rents, I suspect,
might be claimed."

"Ay, that is what my lawyer, Mr. Shanks, says," replied Mrs. Hazleton,
with a bewildered look; "he tells me that if Mr. Marlow is successful in
the suit, I shall have to pay the whole of the rents of the land. But
Shanks added that he was quite certain of beating him if we could retain
for our counsel Sargeant Tutham and Mr. Doubledo."

"Shanks is a rogue," said Sir Philip Hastings, in a calm, equable tone;
"and the two lawyers you have named bear the reputation of being learned
and unscrupulous men. The first point, my dear madam, is to ascertain
whether this young gentleman's claim is just, and then to deal with him
equitably, which, in the sense I affix to the term, may be somewhat
different from legal."

"I really do not know what to do," cried Mrs. Hazleton, with a slight
laugh, as if at her own perplexity. "I was never in such a situation in
my life;" and then she added, very rapidly and in a jocular tone, as if
she were afraid of pausing upon or giving force to any one word, "if my
poor father had been alive, he would have settled it all after his own
way soon enough. He was a great match-maker you know, Sir Philip, and he
would have proposed, in spite of all obstacles, a marriage between the
two parties, to settle the affair by matrimony instead of by law," and
she laughed again as if the very idea was ridiculous.

Unlearned Sir Philip thought so too, and most improperly replied, "The
difference of age would of course put that out of the question;" nor
when he had committed the indiscretion, did he perceive the red spot
which came upon Mrs. Hazleton's fair brow, and indicated sufficiently
enough the effect his words had produced. There was an ominous silent
pause, however, for a minute, and then the Baronet was the person to
resume the discourse in his usual calm, argumentative tone. "I do not
think," he said, "from Mr. Marlow's demeanor or conversation, that