communicated to your lordship the
existence of a being whom you must have supposed the offspring of"--

"Most true--there is an obvious and a kind reason for his being silent.
If anything, indeed, could have added to the horror of the ghastly dream
that has poisoned my whole existence, it must have been the knowledge
that such a child of misery existed."

"Then," continued the Antiquary, "although it would be rash to conclude,
at the distance of more than twenty years, that your son must needs be
still alive because he was not destroyed in infancy, I own I think you
should instantly set on foot inquiries."

"It shall be done," replied Lord Glenallan, catching eagerly at the
hope held out to him, the first he had nourished for many years;--"I will
write to a faithful steward of my father, who acted in the same capacity
under my brother Neville--But, Mr. Oldbuck, I am not my brother's heir."

"Indeed!--I am sorry for that, my lord--it is a noble estate, and the
ruins of the old castle of Neville's-Burgh alone, which are the most
superb relics of Anglo-Norman architecture in that part of the country,
are a possession much to be coveted. I thought your father had no other
son or near relative."

"He had not, Mr. Oldbuck," replied Lord Glenallan; "but my brother
adopted views in politics, and a form of religion, alien from those
which had been always held by our house. Our tempers had long differed,
nor did my unhappy mother always think him sufficiently observant
to her. In short, there was a family quarrel, and my brother, whose
property was at his own free disposal, availed himself of the power
vested in him to choose a stranger for his heir. It is a matter which
never struck me as being of the least consequence--for if worldly
possessions could alleviate misery, I have enough and to spare. But
now I shall regret it, if it throws any difficulty in the way of our
inquiries--and I bethink me that it may; for in case of my having a
lawful son of my body, and my brother dying without issue, my father's
possessions stood entailed upon my son. It is not therefore likely
that this heir, be he who he may, will afford us assistance in making a
discovery which may turn out so much to his own prejudice."

"And in all probability the steward your lordship mentions is also in
his service," said the Antiquary.

"It is most likely; and the man being a Protestant--how far it is safe to
entrust him"--

"I should hope, my lord,"