old Chillingly Gordon's son. I had meant to behave very
handsomely to the father; and when the return for behaving handsomely
is being put into Chancery--A Worm Will Turn. Nevertheless, I agree with
you that a son should not be punished for his father's faults; and, if
the sacrifice of L20,000 makes you and myself feel that we are better
Christians and truer gentlemen, we shall buy that feeling very cheaply.

Sir Peter then proceeded, half jestingly, half seriously, to combat
Kenelm's declaration that he was not in love with Cecilia Travers; and,
urging the advantages of marriage with one whom Kenelm allowed would be
a perfect wife, astutely remarked that unless Kenelm had a son of his
own it did not seem to him quite just to the next of kin to will the
property from him, upon no better plea than the want of love for his
native country. "He would love his country fast enough if he had 10,000
acres in it."

Kenelm shook his head when he came to this sentence.

"Is even then love for one's country but cupboard-love after all?" said
he; and he postponed finishing the perusal of his father's letter.

CHAPTER VII.

KENELM CHILLINGLY did not exaggerate the social position he had acquired
when he classed himself amongst the lions of the fashionable world. I
dare not count the number of three-cornered notes showered upon him by
the fine ladies who grow romantic upon any kind of celebrity; or the
carefully sealed envelopes, containing letters from fair Anonymas, who
asked if he had a heart, and would be in such a place in the Park at
such an hour. What there was in Kenelm Chillingly that should make him
thus favoured, especially by the fair sex, it would be difficult to say,
unless it was the two-fold reputation of being unlike other people, and
of being unaffectedly indifferent to the gain of any reputation at all.
He might, had he so pleased, have easily established a proof that
the prevalent though vague belief in his talents was not altogether
unjustified. For the articles he had sent from abroad to "The Londoner"
and by which his travelling expenses were defrayed, had been stamped
by that sort of originality in tone and treatment which rarely fails to
excite curiosity as to the author, and meets with more general praise
than perhaps it deserves.

But Mivers was true to his contract to preserve inviolable the incognito
of the author, and Kenelm regarded with profound contempt the articles
themselves and the reade