sound of Bow Bells, still, if the marriage
ceremony were once pronounced over them, that woman's son would
become Lord Highgate, and would be heir to all the wealth and all the
titles of the Marquis of Kingsbury,--to the absolute exclusion of the
eldest-born of her own darlings.

She had had her hopes in the impracticability of Lord Hampstead. Such
men as that, she had told herself, were likely to keep themselves
altogether free of marriage. He would not improbably, she thought,
entertain some abominable but not unlucky idea that marriage in
itself was an absurdity. At any rate, there was hope as long as he
could be kept unmarried. Were he to marry and then have a son, even
though he broke his neck out hunting next day, no good would come
of it. In this condition of mind she thought it well to show the
letter to Mr. Greenwood before she read it to her husband. Lord
Kingsbury was still very ill,--so ill as to have given rise to much
apprehension; but still it would be necessary to discuss this letter
with him, ill as he might be. Only it should be first discussed with
Mr. Greenwood.

Mr. Greenwood's face became flatter, and his jaw longer, and his
eyes more like gooseberries as he read the letter. He had gradually
trained himself to say and to hear all manner of evil things
about Lady Frances in the presence of the Marchioness. He had too
accustomed himself to speak of Lord Hampstead as a great obstacle
which it would be well if the Lord would think proper to take out of
the way. He had also so far followed the lead of his patroness as to
be deep if not loud in his denunciations of the folly of the Marquis.
The Marquis had sent him word that he had better look out for a new
home, and without naming an especial day for his dismissal, had given
him to understand that it would not be convenient to receive him
again in the house in Park Lane. But the Marquis had been ill when
he had thus expressed his displeasure,--and was now worse. It might
be that the Marquis himself would never again visit Park Lane. As
no positive limit had been fixed for Mr. Greenwood's departure from
Trafford Park, there he remained,--and there he intended to remain
for the present. As he folded up the letter carefully after reading
it slowly, he only shook his head.

"Is it true, I wonder?" asked the Marchioness.

"There is no reason why it should not be."

"That's just what I say to myself. We know it is true about Fanny. Of
course there's th