brought them. "You
mean the Duca di Crinola!"

"Oh," exclaimed Mr. Greenwood.

"I have heard all that, Mr. Greenwood."

"That the Post Office clerk is an Italian nobleman?"

"It suited the Italian nobleman for a time to be a Post Office clerk.
That is what you mean."

"And Lady Frances is to be allowed--"

"Mr. Greenwood, I must ask you not to discuss Lady Frances here."

"Oh! Not to discuss her ladyship!"

"Surely you must be aware how angry the Marquis has been about it."

"Oh!" He had not seated himself, nor divested himself of that
inquisitorial appearance which was so distasteful to her. "We used to
discuss Lady Frances sometimes, Lady Kingsbury."

"I will not discuss her now. Let that be enough, Mr. Greenwood."

"Nor yet Lord Hampstead."

"Nor yet Lord Hampstead. I think it very wrong of you to come after
all that took place. If the Marquis knew it--"

Oh! If the Marquis knew it! If the Marquis knew all, and if other
people knew all! If it were known how often her ladyship had spoken,
and how loud, as to the wished-for removal to a better world of his
lordship's eldest son! But he could not dare to speak it out. And yet
it was cruel on him! He had for some days felt her ladyship to be
under his thumb, and now it seemed that she had escaped from him.
"Oh! very well, Lady Kingsbury. Perhaps I had better go,--just for
the present." And he went.

This served, at least, for corroboration. She did not dare to keep
the secret long from her husband, and therefore, in the course of
the evening, went down with her sister's letter in her hand. "What!"
said the Marquis, when the story had been read to him. "What! Duca di
Crinola."

"There can't be a doubt about it, my dear."

"And he a clerk in the Post Office?"

"He isn't a clerk in the Post Office now."

"I don't quite see what he will be then. It appears that he has
inherited nothing."

"My sister says nothing."

"Then what's the good of his title. There is nothing so pernicious
in the world as a pauper aristocracy. A clerk in the Post Office is
entitled to have a wife, but a poor nobleman should at any rate let
his poverty die with himself."

This was a view of the case which had not hitherto presented itself
to Lady Kingsbury. When she suggested to him that the young nobleman
should be asked down to Trafford, he did not seem to see that it
was at all necessary. It would be much better that Fanny should
come back. The young nobleman would, he