g of a new
Marchioness and a new Lord Popenjoy. Occasion had been taken to give
some details of the Germain family, and public allusion had even been
made to the marriage of Lord George. These are days in which, should
your wife's grandfather have ever been insolvent, some newspaper, in
its catering for the public, will think it proper to recall the fact.
The Dean's parentage had been alluded to, and the late Tallowax will,
and the Tallowax property generally. It had also been declared that the
Marchesa Luigi,--now the present Marchioness,--had been born an Orsini;
and also, in another paper, the other fact (?) that she had been
divorced from her late husband. This had already been denied by Mr.
Knox, who had received a telegram from Florence ordering such denial to
be made. It may, therefore, be conceived that the Germains were at this
moment the subject of much conversation, and it may be understood that
Mrs. Houghton, who considered herself to be on very confidential terms
with Lord George, should, as they were alone, ask a few questions and
express a little sympathy. "How does the dear Marchioness like the new
house?" she asked.

"It is tolerably comfortable."

"That Price is a darling, Lord George; I've known him ever so long.
And, of course, it is the dower house."

"It was the suddenness that disturbed my mother."

"Of course; and then the whole of it must have gone against the grain
with her. You bear it like an angel."

"For myself, I don't know that I have anything to bear."

"The whole thing is so dreadful. There are you and your dear
wife,--everything just as it ought to be,--idolized by your mother,
looked up to by the whole country, the very man whom we wish to see the
head of such a family."

"Don't talk in that way, Mrs. Houghton."

"I know it is very distant; but still, I do feel near enough related to
you all to be justified in being proud, and also to be justified in
being ashamed. What will they do about calling upon her?"

"My brother will, of course, come to my mother first. Then Lady Sarah
and one of her sisters will go over. After that he will bring his wife
to Cross Hall if he pleases."

"I am so glad it is all settled; it is so much better. But you know,
Lord George,--I must say it to you as I would to my own brother,
because my regard for you is the same,--I shall never think that that
woman is really his wife." Lord George frowned heavily, but did not
speak. "And I shall never th