ung clerk, and had now become particularly intimate with him. "Of
course, my dear fellow," he said, "I shall be guided entirely by
yourself."

"Thank you, sir."

"If you tell me you're George Roden, George Roden you'll be to me.
But I think you're wrong. And I think moreover that the good sense of
the world will prevail against you. As far as I understand anything
of the theory of titles, this title belongs to you. The world never
insists on calling a man a Lord or a Count for nothing. There's too
much jealousy for that. But when a thing is so, people choose that it
shall be so."

All this troubled him, though it did not shake his convictions. But
it made him think again and again of what Lady Persiflage had said to
him down at Castle Hautboy. "Will it be honest on your part to ask
her to abandon the rank which she will be entitled to expect from
you?" If all the world conspired to tell him that he was entitled
to take this name, then the girl whom he intended to marry would
certainly be justified in claiming it. It undoubtedly was the fact
that titles such as these were dear to men,--and specially dear to
women. As to this girl, who was so true to him, was he justified in
supposing that she would be different from others, simply because she
was true to him? He had asked her to come down as it were from the
high pedestal of her own rank, and to submit herself to his lowly
lot. She had consented, and there never had been to him a moment of
remorse in thinking that he was about to injure her. But as Chance
had brought it about in this way, as Fortune had seemed determined
to give back to her that of which he would have deprived her, was it
right that he should stand in the way of Fortune? Would it be honest
on his part to ask her to abandon these fine names which Chance was
putting in her way?

That it might be so, should he be pleased to accept what was offered
to him, did become manifest to him. It was within his power to call
himself and to have himself called by this new name. It was not only
the party of the Crockers. Others now were urgent in persuading him.
The matter had become so far customary to him as to make him feel
that if he would simply put the name on his card, and cause it to
be inserted in the Directories, and write a line to the officials
saying that for the future he would wish to be so designated, the
thing would be done. He had met Baron D'Ossi, and the Baron had
acknowledged that an Englishma