I was still busy in my room
when a knock at the street door announced the arrival of Mr Selwyn, and
I went down into the drawing-room to meet him. I asked Lionel, who was
walking up and down the room, whether he had finished the papers, and he
replied by a nod of the head. The poor lad appeared very miserable, but
Mr Selwyn entered, and I could not say more to him.

"I hope I have not kept you waiting, Mademoiselle de Chatenoeuf," said
he.

"No, indeed. I came here at ten o'clock, for I have left Lady M--, and
I may as well ask at once whether there is any objection to my taking a
bed in this house for a few nights?"

"Objection! Why, mademoiselle, you are sole executrix, and everything
is at present yours in fact, for the time. You have, therefore, a right
to take possession until he appears, and the will is proved."

"The hero is before you, Mr Selwyn. Allow me to introduce you to Mr
Lionel Dempster, the nephew of Lady R--"

Mr Selwyn bowed to Lionel, and congratulated him upon his accession to
the property.

Lionel returned the salute, and then said, "Mademoiselle de Chatenoeuf I
am convinced that in this case Mr Selwyn must have been made a party to
all that has occurred. The reading of these papers has rather disturbed
me, and it would be painful to me to hear everything repeated in my
presence. With your permission, I will walk out for an hour, and leave
you to explain everything to Mr Selwyn, for I am sure that I shall need
his advice. Here is the confession of old Roberts which I shall leave
for his perusal. Good-morning, then, for the present."

So saying, Lionel took up his hat and quitted the room.

"He is a very prepossessing young man," observed Mr Selwyn. "What a
fine eye he has!"

"Yes," replied I, "and now that he has so large a property, others will
find out that he is a prepossessing young man with fine eyes; but sit
down, Mr Selwyn, for you have to listen to a very strange narrative."

When he had finished it, he laid it down on the table, saying, "This is
perhaps the strangest history that has ever come to my knowledge during
thirty years of practice. And so she brought him up as a footman. I
now recognise him again as the lad who has so often opened the door for
me, but I confess I never should have done so if I had not heard what
you have now communicated."

"He was always much above his position," replied I. "He is very clever
and very amusing; at least I found him so w