the range of his nearest relations?" This was from John, who was almost
at the end of his patience. He began to put his papers back in a
portfolio, with the intention of carrying them home with him, for his
hour's work had been spoilt as well as his temper. "I am afraid," he
added, "that I cannot give you any information, Lady Mariamne."

"Oh, such nonsense, Mr. Tatham!--as if the heir to a peerage could be
hid."

It was not often that Lady Mariamne produced an unanswerable effect,
but against this last sentence of hers John had absolutely nothing to
say. He stared at her for a moment, and then he returned to his papers,
shovelling them into the portfolio with vehemence. Fortunately, she did
not herself see how potent was her argument. She went on diluting it
till it lost all its power.

"There is the 'Peerage,' if it was nothing else--they must have the
right particulars for that. Why, Dolly is at full length in it, her age
and all, poor child; and Toto, too, for anything I know. Is du in the
'Peerage,' dear Toto, darling? And yet Toto can't succeed, nor Dolly
either. And this year Phil will be in as heir presumptive and his
marriage and all--and then a blank line. It's ridiculous, it's horrible,
it's a thing that can't, can't be! Only think of all the troops of
people, nice people, the best people, that read the 'Peerage,' Mr.
Tatham!--and that know Phil is married, and that there is a child, and
yet will see nothing but that blank line. Nell was always a little fool,
and never could see things in a common-sense way. But a man ought to
know better--and a lawyer, with chambers in the Temple! Why, people come
and consult you on such matters--I might be coming to ask you to send
out detectives, and that sort of thing. How do you dare to hide away
that boy?"

Lady Mariamne stamped her foot at John, but this proceeding very much
incommoded Toto, who, disturbed in his position on her knee, got upon
his feet and began to bark furiously, first at his mistress and then,
following her impulse, at the gentleman opposite to her, backing against
the lady's shoulder and setting up his little nose furiously with
vibrations of rage against John, while stumbling upon the uncertain
footing of the lap, volcanically shaken by the movement. The result of
this onslaught was to send Lady Mariamne into shrieks of laughter, in
the midst of which she half smothered Toto with mingled endearments and
attempts at restraint, until Dolly, comi