s to mention her within his hearing. He was thankful that no heir had
come from that most horrid union. The woman was never mentioned to him
again, nor need she trouble us further in the telling of our chronicle.

But when Lord Neville died, it was necessary that the old man should
think of his new heir. Alas; in that family, though there was much that
was good and noble, there had ever been intestine feuds,--causes of
quarrel in which each party would be sure that he was right. They were
a people who thought much of the church, who were good to the poor, who
strove to be noble;--but they could not forgive injuries. They could
not forgive even when there were no injuries. The present Earl had
quarrelled with his brother in early life;--and had therefore quarrelled
with all that had belonged to the brother. The brother was now gone,
leaving two sons behind him,--two young Nevilles, Fred and Jack, of whom
Fred, the eldest, was now the heir. It was at last settled that Fred
should be sent for to Scroope Manor. Fred came, being at that time a
lieutenant in a cavalry regiment,--a fine handsome youth of five and
twenty, with the Neville eyes and Neville finely cut features. Kindly
letters passed between the widowed mother and the present Lady Scroope;
and it was decided at last, at his own request, that he should remain
one year longer in the army, and then be installed as the eldest son at
Scroope Manor. Again the lawyer was told to do what was proper in regard
to money.

A few words more must be said of Lady Scroope, and then the preface to
our story will be over. She too was an Earl's daughter, and had been
much loved by our Earl's first wife. Lady Scroope had been the elder by
ten years; but yet they had been dear friends, and Lady Mary Wycombe had
passed many months of her early life amidst the gloom of the great rooms
at Scroope Manor. She had thus known the Earl well before she consented
to marry him. She had never possessed beauty,--and hardly grace. She was
strong featured, tall, with pride clearly written in her face. A reader
of faces would have declared at once that she was proud of the blood
which ran in her veins. She was very proud of her blood, and did in
truth believe that noble birth was a greater gift than any wealth. She
was thoroughly able to look down upon a parvenu millionaire,--to look
down upon such a one and not to pretend to despise him. When the Earl's
letter came to her asking her to share his glo