must own I regret,--to give the money to one of
our family, and has been pleased to say that my cousin Adelaide shall
be the recipient of her bounty. I have nothing to do with it. I
cannot stop her generosity if I would, nor can I say that my cousin
ought to refuse it. Adelaide will have the entire sum as her fortune,
short of the legacy duty, which, as you are probably aware, will be
ten per cent., as Madame Goesler was not related to my uncle. The
money will, of course, be settled on my cousin and on her children.
I believe that will be all I shall have to say, except that Lady
Glencora,--the Duchess, I mean,--wishes that Adelaide should be
married from our house. If this be so I shall, of course, hope to
have the honour of giving my cousin away." The Duke was by no means a
pompous man, and probably there was no man in England of so high rank
who thought so little of his rank. But he was stiff and somewhat
ungainly, and the task which he was called upon to execute had been
very disagreeable to him. He bowed when he had finished his speech,
and Gerard Maule felt himself bound to go, almost without expressing
his thanks.

"My dear Mr. Maule," said Madame Goesler, "you literally must not
say a word to me about it. The money was not mine, and under no
circumstances would or could be mine. I have given nothing, and could
not have presumed to make such a present. The money, I take it, does
undoubtedly belong to the present Duke, and, as he does not want it,
it is very natural that it should go to his cousin. I trust that you
may both live to enjoy it long, but I cannot allow any thanks to be
given to me by either of you."

After that he tried the Duchess, who was somewhat more gracious. "The
truth is, Mr. Maule, you are a very lucky man to find twenty thousand
pounds and more going begging about the country in that way."

"Indeed I am, Duchess."

"And Adelaide is lucky, too, for I doubt whether either of you are
given to any very penetrating economies. I am told that you like
hunting."

"I have sent my horses to Tattersall's."

"There is enough now for a little hunting, I suppose, unless you
have a dozen children. And now you and Adelaide must settle when
it's to be. I hate things to be delayed. People go on quarrelling
and fancying this and that, and thinking that the world is full of
romance and poetry. When they get married they know better."

"I hope the romance and poetry do not all vanish."

"Romance and po