orge; most insolent,
overbearing, and unlike a clergyman. They say that he is little
better than an infidel himself."

"We had better leave that to the bishop, my lord."

"We must feel about it, connected as we are with the parish," said
the Marquis.

"But I don't think we shall do any good by going into a parochial
quarrel."

"It was the very best bit of land for the purpose in all
Bullhampton," said the Marquis. "I made particular inquiry, and there
can be no doubt of that. Though I particularly dislike that Mr.
Fenwick, it was not done to injure him."

"It does injure him damnably, my lord."

"That's only an accident."

"And I'm not at all sure that we shan't find that we have made a
mistake."

"How a mistake?"

"That we have given away land that doesn't belong to us."

"Who says it doesn't belong to us?" said the Marquis, angrily. A
suggestion so hostile, so unjust, so cruel as this, almost overcame
the feeling of veneration which he entertained for his son. "That is
really nonsense, Saint George."

"Have you looked at the title deeds?"

"The title deeds are of course with Mr. Boothby. But Packer knows
every foot of the ground,--even if I didn't know it myself."

"I wouldn't give a straw for Packer's knowledge."

"I haven't heard that they have even raised the question themselves."

"I'm told that they will do so,--that they say it is common land.
It's quite clear that it has never been either let or enclosed."

"You might say the same of the bit of green that lies outside the
park gate,--where the great oak stands; but I don't suppose that that
is common."

"I don't say that this is--but I do say that there may be difficulty
of proof; and that to be driven to the proof in such a matter would
be disagreeable."

"What would you do, then?"

"Take the bull by the horns, and move the chapel at our own expense
to some site that shall be altogether unobjectionable."

"We should be owning ourselves wrong, Augustus."

"And why not? I cannot see what disgrace there is in coming forward
handsomely and telling the truth. When the land was given we thought
it was our own. There has come up a shadow of a doubt, and sooner
than be in the wrong, we give another site and take all the expense.
I think that would be the right sort of thing to do."

Lord Saint George returned to town two days afterwards, and the
Marquis was left with the dilemma on his mind. Lord Saint George,
though he would frequently