tain of the contents of the
envelope, and knowing the importance of the news, slowly opened the
cover. "It is all over," she said, "Poor Brotherton!" Lady Amelia burst
into tears. "He was never so very unkind to me," said Lady Susanna,
with her handkerchief up to her eyes. "I cannot say that he was good to
me," said Lady Sarah, "but it may be that I was hard to him. May God
Almighty forgive him all that he did amiss!"

Then there was a consultation held, and it was decided that Mary and
the Marchioness must both be told at once. "Mamma will be dreadfully
cut up," said Lady Susanna. Then Lady Amelia suggested that their
mother's attention should be at once drawn off to Mary's condition,
for the Marchioness at this time was much worried in her feelings about
Mary,--as to whom it now seemed that some error must have been made.
The calculations had not been altogether exact. So at least, judging
from Mary's condition, they all now thought at Manor Cross. Mrs. Toff
was quite sure, and the Marchioness was perplexed in her memory as to
certain positive information which had been whispered into her ear by
Sir Henry just before the birth of that unfortunate Popenjoy, who was
now lying dead as Lord Brotherton at Naples.

The telegram had arrived in the afternoon at the hour in which Mary was
accustomed to sit in the easy chair with the Marchioness. The penalty
had now been reduced to an hour a day, and this, as it happened, was
the hour. The Marchioness had been wandering a good deal in her mind.
From time to time she expressed her opinion that Brotherton would get
well and would come back; and she would then tell Mary how she ought to
urge her husband to behave well to his elder brother, always asserting
that George had been stiff-necked and perverse. But in the midst of all
this she would refer every minute to Mary's coming baby as the coming
Popenjoy--not a possible Popenjoy at some future time, but the
immediate Popenjoy of the hour,--to be born a Popenjoy! Poor Mary, in
answer to all this, would agree with everything. She never contradicted
the old lady, but sat longing that the hour might come to an end.

Lady Sarah entered the room, followed by her two sisters. "Is there any
news?" asked Mary.

"Has Brotherton come back?" demanded the Marchioness.

"Dear mamma!" said Lady Sarah;--and she went up and knelt down before
her mother and took her hand.

"Where is he?" asked the Marchioness.

"Dear mamma! He has gone away