rs should be ingenuous in discussing it.

The young Earl clearly inherited the title and the small estate at
Lovel Grange. The Italian woman was prima facie heiress to everything
else,--except to such portion of the large personal property as the
widow could claim as widow, in the event of her being able to prove
that she had been a wife. But in the event of the will being no will,
the Italian woman would have nothing. In such case the male heir
would have all if the marriage were no marriage;--but would have
nothing if the marriage could be made good. If the marriage could
be made good, the Lady Anna would have the entire property, except
such portion as would be claimed of right by her mother, the widow.
Thus the Italian woman and the young lord were combined in interest
against the mother and daughter as regarded the marriage; and the
young lord and the mother and daughter were combined against the
Italian woman as regarded the will;--but the young lord had to act
alone against the Italian woman, and against the mother and daughter
whom he and his friends regarded as swindlers and impostors. It was
for him to set aside the will in reference to the Italian woman,
and then to stand the brunt of the assault made upon him by the
soi-disant wife.

In a very short time after the old Earl's death a double compromise
was offered on behalf of the young Earl. The money at stake was
immense. Would the Italian woman take L10,000, and go her way back
to Italy, renouncing all further claim; and would the soi-disant
Countess abandon her title, acknowledge her child to be illegitimate,
and go her way with another L10,000;--or with L20,000, as was soon
hinted by the gentlemen acting on the Earl's behalf? The proposition
was one somewhat difficult in the making, as the compromise, if made
with both, would be excellent, but could not be made to any good
effect with one only. The young Earl certainly could not afford to
buy off the Italian woman for L10,000, if the effect of such buying
off would only be to place the whole of the late lord's wealth in the
hands of his daughter and of his daughter's mother.

The Italian woman consented. She declared with Italian energy that
her late loving friend had never been a day insane; but she knew
nothing of English laws, and but little of English money. She would
take the L10,000,--having had a calculation made for her of the
number of lire into which it would run. The number was enormous, and