thy of the name. Her dear Roger might succeed to the title and
estates, but she could not bear the thought of his going to England.
It was in her imagination a land of cold bleak rains and unwholesome
fogs. But it was worse; it was the country of a people who had been
false to their ancient faith. Even the Tichbornes, though still
Catholics, had not always been true to their religion. And so Mrs.
Tichborne planned out for the future heir of Tichborne a life of
perpetual absenteeism. He should marry into some distinguished family
in France or Italy, and little short of a Princess should share his
fortunes. If he went into the army it should be in some foreign
service. But in no case should he go to Tichborne, or set foot in
England again, if she could help it.

James Tichborne was like many other weak men who have self-willed
wives. He put off the inevitable day as long as he could, but finally
achieved his purpose by strategy. Roger was in his seventeenth year
when the news arrived that Sir Henry had died. It was right that James
Tichborne should be present at his brother's funeral, and reasonable
that he should take with him the heir, as everyone regarded him to
be. Accordingly Roger took leave of his mother under solemn
injunctions to return quickly. But there was no intention of allowing
him to return. The boy attended the funeral of his uncle at the old
chapel at Tichborne, went to his grandfather's place at Knoyle, and
thence, by the advice of relations and friends, and with the consent
of the boy himself, he was taken down to the Jesuit College at
Stonyhurst, and there placed in the seminary with the class of
students known as "philosophers." When Mrs. Tichborne learnt that this
step had been completed her fury knew no bounds. Roger wrote her kind
and filial letters in French--ill-spelt it is true, but admirably
worded, and testifying an amount of good sense which promised well for
his manhood. But Mrs. Tichborne gave no reply, and for twelve months
the son, though longing ardently for a letter, got no token of
affection. Yet Mrs. Tichborne was not the person to see her son removed
from her control without an effort. She upbraided her husband
violently, and there was a renewal of the old scenes in the Tichborne
household; but Roger was now far away, and the danger of Mr.
Tichborne's yielding in a momentary fit of weakness was at an end.
Meanwhile the mother wrote violent letters to the heads of the
college, expos