g of the kind shall be done with
my consent."

"Why, no," the barrister had answered, "I suppose that neither your
consent nor mine is to be asked; and it seems as though it were a farce
ordered to be played over the poor governor's grave. He has prepared a
romance, as to the truth or falsehood of which neither you nor I can
possibly be called as witnesses."

It was clear to the captain that his brother had thought that the plot
had been prepared by their father in anticipation of his own death.
Nevertheless, by the younger brother's assistance, the much-needed sum
of money was found for the supply of the elder's immediate wants.

The next day was the day of terror, and nothing more was heard, either
then or for the following week, of the old gentleman's scheme. In two
days it was understood that his death might be hourly expected, but on
the third it was thought that he might "pull through," as his younger
son filially expressed himself. He was constantly with his father, but
not a word passed his lips as to the property. The elder son kept
himself gloomily apart, and indeed, during a part of the next week was
out of London. Augustus Scarborough did call on Mr. Grey, but only
learned from him that it was, at any rate, true that the story had been
told by his father. Mr. Grey refused to make any farther communication,
simply saying that he would as yet express no opinion.

"For myself," said Augustus, as he left the attorney's chambers, "I can
only profess myself so much astonished as to have no opinion. I suppose
I must simply wait and see what Fortune intends to do with me."

At the end of a fortnight Mr. Scarborough had so far recovered his
strength as to be able to be moved down to Tretton, and thither he went.
It was not many days after that "the world" was first informed that
Captain Scarborough was not his father's heir. "The world" received the
information with a great deal of expressed surprise and inward
satisfaction,--satisfaction that the money-lenders should be done out of
their money; that a professed gambler like Captain Scarborough should
suddenly become an illegitimate nobody; and, more interesting still,
that a very wealthy and well-conditioned, if not actually respectable,
squire should have proved himself to be a most brazen-faced rascal. All
of these were matters which gave extreme delight to the world at large.
At first there came little paragraphs without any name, and then, some
hours afterw