w between your grandfather and the rest of the
family. I don't know anything about the right or wrongs of it; for
it was, of course, many years before we were born; and I never
heard of your father's existence, until a fortnight before I left
England. Then there were some inquiries made about the family,
owing to various deaths that took place in it. Do you know that
your father was related--distantly of course--to the Earl of
Netherly?"

"I do remember his mentioning it, once. I know he said that it was
a distant connection; and that he knew nothing, whatever, about the
earl or his family."

"Well, curiously enough, it is not so distant, now," the other
said. "I was a pretty distant connection of his. He was childless;
and the family, generally, don't seem to have been prolific. A good
many of them died; and the result was that, the year before I left
England, an uncle of mine succeeded to the title. He has no son,
and my father was his next brother. My father died, two years ago;
and the result is that, to my astonishment, I found that I was next
heir to the title. They wanted me to leave the army, when my
regiment was ordered out to India; but of course I was not going to
do that, for my aunt may die, and my uncle marry again and have
children. Besides, I was not going to leave, anyhow, just as the
regiment was ordered abroad, and might see service.

"However, there was a great hunting by the lawyers in the
genealogical tree; and I know it was decided that, in case anything
happened to me, your father would have been the next heir, had he
been alive. I don't know whether any further inquiries were made,
or whether they ever ascertained that he had married. I don't
suppose there were for, of course, as long as I live the matter is
of no importance.

"So that, as things stand now, if a Burmese bullet puts an end to
my career, you are the next heir to the title."

"You surprise me, indeed," Stanley said. "From the way my father
spoke of the matter, I am sure that he had not the slightest idea
there was any likelihood, whatever, that he would have any chance
of succeeding to the title."

"That I can well imagine, for it was not until a few years ago,
when the deaths of several who stood between him and the succession
occurred, that my uncle regarded his coming into it as a matter
worth thinking about; and of course all our family stood between it
and your father. However, as you see we have dwindled away and, if