o doubt, woman-like, jumped at
the conclusion--having known you when you were more British still. And
you never brought up the subject--"

"Don't regard me as wholly an idiot. I read the Constitution of the
United States half a dozen times while making up my mind to come here,
and it is not likely that Article XIV.--'All persons born in the United
States, etc., are citizens of the United States, etc.'--escaped me. I
consulted my solicitor, and he read me from some chapter on
Expatriation, as plainly as may be, that the forfeiture of native
citizenship was accomplished not only by a formal act of renunciation,
but followed a long severance with the relations of the government under
which the person was born, or--acceptance of service under a foreign
government. Considering that I had left the United States when I was
five weeks old, and had fought and bled for Great Britain, besides
serving in her Parliament--where, of course I took my oath of
allegiance--and that I had been an Englishman to every possible intent
and purpose, even wearing my titles for some weeks, it seemed to me--and
to my solicitor--that I would have rather a hard time obtaining an
American passport."

The judge nodded. "Quite right. All the same, I can't understand why
your father did not bring the question up when you attained your
majority, or why you, an ardent Britisher, did not think of it
yourself."

"You would understand if you lived among us for a few years. In the
first place my being born in the United States was such a mere incident
that it was rarely mentioned, and then in the most casual manner. I
don't suppose my mother ever volunteered a piece of information in her
life, and my father rarely gave a thought to any matter but sport. My
grandfather probably disliked the idea--he detested America--at all
events he never alluded to the subject, and was far too British to dream
that the child of British parents could be other than British were he
born in heaven itself. I don't think the matter had entered my mind for
ten years, when the subject came up the first night of Isabel's visit to
Capheaton--and I stupefied every one by announcing that I had been born
in America; but otherwise it made no impression upon them. It is quite
possible that had there been any prospect of my becoming the heir, when
I reached my majority, some member of the family would have recalled the
fact of my birthplace; but Zeal was well then, his wife was bearing