at Mr. Roden, and the Mrs. Roden. When the writer
knows so much, there is reason to believe the rest."

"A great many people do tell a great many lies," said Mr. Greenwood.

"I suppose there is such a person as this Quaker,--and that there is
such a girl?"

"Quite likely."

"If so, why shouldn't Hampstead fall in love with her? Of course he's
always going to the street because of his friend Roden."

"Not a doubt, Lady Kingsbury."

"What ought we to do?" To this question Mr. Greenwood was not
prepared with an immediate answer. If Lord Hampstead chose to get
himself married to a Quaker's daughter, how could it be helped? "His
father would hardly have any influence over him now." Mr. Greenwood
shook his head. "And yet he must be told." Mr. Greenwood nodded his
head. "Perhaps something might be done about the property."

"He wouldn't care two straws about settlements," said Mr. Greenwood.

"He doesn't care about anything he ought to. If I were to write and
ask him, would he tell the truth about this marriage?"

"He wouldn't tell the truth about anything," said Mr. Greenwood.

The Marchioness passed this by, though she knew it at the moment to
be calumny. But she was not unwilling to hear calumny against Lord
Hampstead. "There used to be ways," she said, "in which a marriage of
that kind could be put on one side afterwards."

"You must put it on one side before, now-a-days, if you mean to do it
at all," said the clergyman.

"But how?--how?"

"If he could be got out of the way."

"How out of the way?"

"Well;--that's what I don't know. Suppose he could be made to go out
yachting, and she be married to somebody else when he's at sea!" Lady
Kingsbury felt that her friend was but little good at a stratagem.
But she felt also that she was not very good herself. She could wish;
but wishing in such matters is very vain. She had right on her side.
She was quite confident as to that. There could be no doubt but that
"gods and men" would desire to see her little Lord Frederic succeed
to the Marquisate rather than this infidel Republican. If this
wretched Radical could be kept from marrying there would evidently
be room for hope, because there was the fact,--proved by the
incontestable evidence of Burke's Peerage,--that younger sons did so
often succeed. But if another heir were to be born, then, as far as
she was aware, Burke's Peerage promised her nothing. "It's a pity he
shouldn't break his neck out hunting," said