ly said in answer that you might probably soon want the house
at Manor Cross yourself. It now seems that when you told us of
your intended marriage you had already been married over two
years, and that when I told you of mine you had a son over twelve
months old,--a fact which I might certainly expect that you would
communicate to me at such a time.

"I beg to assure you that I am now urged to write by no suspicions
of my own; but I know that if things are left to go on as they are
now, suspicions will arise at a future time. I write altogether in
the interests of your son and heir; and for his sake I beseech you
to put at once into the hands of your own lawyer absolute evidence
of the date of your marriage, of its legality, and of the birth of
your son. It will also be expedient that my lawyer shall see the
evidence in your lawyer's hands. If you were to die as matters are
now it would be imperative on me to take steps which would seem to
be hostile to Popenjoy's interest. I think you must yourself feel
that this would be so. And yet nothing would be further from my
wish. If we were both to die, the difficulty would be still
greater, as in that case proceedings would have to be taken by
more distant members of the family.

"I trust you will believe me when I say that my only object is to
have the matter satisfactorily settled.

"Your affectionate brother,

"GEORGE GERMAIN."

When the Marquis received this letter he was not in the least
astonished by it. Lord George had told his sister Sarah that it was to
be written, and had even discussed with her the Dean's words. Lady
Sarah had thought that as the Dean was a sagacious man, his exact words
had better be used. And then Lady Amelia had been told, Lady Amelia
having asked various questions on the subject. Lady Amelia had of
course known that her brother would discuss the matter with the Dean,
and had begged that she might not be treated as a stranger. Everything
had not been told to Lady Amelia, nor had Lady Amelia told all that she
had heard to her mother. But the Marchioness had known enough, and had
communicated enough to her son to save him from any great astonishment
when he got his brother's letter. Of course he had known that some
steps would be taken.

He answered the letter at once.

"MY DEAR BROTHER," he said,--"I don't think it neces