time a potman or a pugilist, with a
share in your grandfather's public-house at Roxby. How ridiculous it
seems now, does it not?"

Astonishment had kept Wyvis silent, but his gathering passion could not
longer be repressed.

"That is enough," he said. "If you desire to insult me you might have
let it be in other company. Or if you will send your husband to repeat
it----"

"I said a pugilist, did I not?" said Lady Caroline, smiling, and putting
up her eye-glass. "Your thews and sinews justify me perfectly--and so, I
must say, does your manner of speech." She let her eye run over his
limbs critically, and then she dropped her glass. "You are really
wonderfully like poor Wyvis; he was a very strong sort of man."

"Will you be so good as to take your leave, Lady Caroline Adair? I wish
to treat you with all due courtesy, as you are Margaret's mother," said
Wyvis, setting his teeth, "but you are saying unpardonable things to a
man in his own house."

"My dear man, there is nothing to be ashamed of!" cried Lady Caroline,
as if very much surprised. "Your father and mother were very honest
people, and I always thought it greatly to Mark Brand's credit that he
adopted you. The odd thing was that so few people knew that you were not
his son. You were only a month or two old when he married Mary Wyvis,
however; for your father died before your birth; but there was no secret
made of it at the time, I believe. And it is nearly thirty years. Things
get forgotten."

"Mother, can this be true?" said Wyvis, hoarsely. He was forced into
asking the question by Lady Caroline's cool persistence. He was keenly
conscious of the fact that Margaret, looking scared and bewildered, had
shrunk away from him.

"Yes, yes, it is true," said Mrs. Brand, with a burst of despairing
tears. "We did not mean any harm, and nobody made any inquiries. There
was nothing wrong about it--nothing. It was better for you, Wyvis, that
was all."

"Is it better for anybody to be brought up to believe a lie?" said the
young man. His lips had grown white, and his brow was set in very
ominous darkness. "I shall hear more of this story by and by. I have to
thank you, Lady Caroline, for letting in a little light upon my mind.
Your opposition to my suit is amply explained."

"I am glad you take it in that way, Mr. Brand," said Lady Caroline, for
the first time giving him his adopted name, and smiling very amicably.
"As I happened to be one of the very few people