f he
does not take care that such evidence of his marriage is forthcoming as
shall satisfy all the world."

"He won't listen to you."

"I think I can make him, as far as that goes; at any rate I do not mean
to be afraid of him. Nor must you."

"I hardly know whether I will even see him."

"Yes; you must see him. If we are to be expelled from the family house,
let it be his doing, and not ours. We have to take care, George, that
we do not make a single false step. We must be courteous to him, but
above all we must not be afraid of him."

In the meantime the Dean went up to London, meaning to spend a week
with his daughter in her new house. They had both intended that this
should be a period of great joy to them. Plans had been made as to the
theatres and one or two parties, which were almost as exciting to the
Dean as to his daughter. It was quite understood by both of them that
the Dean up in London was to be a man of pleasure, rather than a
clergyman. He had no purpose of preaching either at St. Paul's or the
Abbey. He was going to attend no Curates' Aid Society or Sons of the
Clergy. He intended to forget Mr. Groschut, to ignore Dr. Pountney, and
have a good time. That had been his intention, at least till he saw
Lord George at the deanery. But now there were serious thoughts in his
mind. When he arrived Mary had for the time got nearly rid of the
incubus of the Italian Marchioness with her baby. She was all smiles as
she kissed him. But he could not keep himself from the great subject.

"This is terrible news, my darling," he said at once.

"Do you think so, papa?"

"Certainly I do."

"I don't see why Lord Brotherton should not have a son and heir as well
as anybody else."

"He is quite entitled to have a son and heir,--one may almost say more
entitled than anyone else, seeing that he has got so much to leave to
him,--but on that very account he is more bound than anyone else to let
all the world feel sure that his declared son and heir is absolutely
his son and heir."

"He couldn't be so vile as that, papa!"

"God forbid that I should say that he could. It may be that he
considers himself married, though the marriage would not be valid here.
Maybe he is married, and that yet the child is not legitimate." Mary
could not but blush as her father spoke to her thus plainly. "All we do
know is that he wrote to his own brother declaring that he was about to
be married twelve months after the birth of the ch