h
and honour of another, if not he who has the nearest chance of
possessing them? And yet who could be so manifestly bound as he to take
care that no surreptitious head was imposed upon the family. This
little child was either the real Popenjoy, a boy to be held by him as
of all boys the most sacred, to the promotion of whose welfare all his
own energies would be due,--or else a brat so abnormously distasteful
and abominable as to demand from him an undying enmity, till the
child's wicked pretensions should be laid at rest. There was something
very serious in it, very tragic,--something which demanded that he
should lay aside all common anger, and put up with many insults on
behalf of the cause which he had in hand. "Of course I could wait,"
said he; "only I thought that perhaps the man would have told me."

"The fact is, George, we are rather a divided house here. Some of us
talk Italian and some English. I am the only common interpreter in the
house, and I find it a bore."

"I dare say it is troublesome."

"And what can I do for you now you are here?"

Do for him! Lord George didn't want his brother to do anything for him.
"Live decently, like an English nobleman, and do not outrage your
family." That would have been the only true answer he could have made
to such a question. "I thought you would wish to see me after your
return," he said.

"It's rather lately thought of; but, however, let that pass. So you've
got a wife for yourself."

"As you have done also."

"Just so. I have got a wife too. Mine has come from one of the oldest
and noblest families in Christendom."

"Mine is the granddaughter of a livery-stable keeper," said Lord
George, with a touch of real grandeur; "and, thank God, I can be proud
of her in any society in England."

"I dare say;--particularly as she had some money."

"Yes; she had money. I could hardly have married without. But when you
see her I think you will not be ashamed of her as your sister-in-law."

"Ah! She lives in London and I am just at present down here."

"She is the daughter of the Dean of Brotherton."

"So I have heard. They used to make gentlemen Deans." After this there
was a pause, Lord George finding it difficult to go on with the
conversation without a quarrel. "To tell you the truth, George, I will
not willingly see anything more of your Dean. He came here and insulted
me. He got up and blustered about the room because I wouldn't thank him
for the honour he