to the title. And my Fred would be such an honour to the
name! There is nothing to be done, of course." That was the first
word that had ever been spoken in that direction, and that word was
allowed to pass without any reply having been made to it, though it
had been uttered almost in a question.

CHAPTER XIX.

LADY AMALDINA'S LOVER.

Trafford Park was in Shropshire. Llwddythlw, the Welsh seat of the
Duke of Merioneth, was in the next county;--one of the seats that
is, for the Duke had mansions in many counties. Here at this period
of the year it suited Lord Llwddythlw to live,--not for any special
gratification of his own, but because North Wales was supposed to
require his presence. He looked to the Quarter Sessions, to the
Roads, to the Lunatic Asylum, and to the Conservative Interests
generally of that part of Great Britain. That he should spend
Christmas at Llwddythlw was a thing of course. In January he went
into Durham; February to Somersetshire. In this way he parcelled
himself out about the kingdom, remaining in London of course from
the first to the last of the Parliamentary Session. It was, we may
say emphatically, a most useful life, but in which there was no
recreation and very little excitement. It was not wonderful that
he should be unable to find time to get married. As he could not
get as far as Castle Hautboy,--partly, perhaps, because he did not
especially like the omnium-gatherum mode of living which prevailed
there,--it had been arranged that he should give up two days early
in December to meet the lady of his love under her aunt's roof at
Trafford Park. Lady Amaldina and he were both to arrive there on
Wednesday, December 3rd, and remain till the Tuesday morning. There
had not been any special term arranged as to the young lady's visit,
as her time was not of much consequence; but it had been explained
minutely that the lover must reach Denbigh by the 5.45 train, so as
to be able to visit certain institutions in the town before a public
dinner which was to be held in the Conservative interest at seven.
Lord Llwddythlw had comfort in thinking that he could utilize his two
days' idleness at Trafford in composing and studying the speech on
the present state of affairs, which, though to be uttered at Denbigh,
would, no doubt, appear in all the London newspapers on the following
morning.

As it was to be altogether a lover's meeting, no company was to
be invited. Mr. Greenwood would, of c