r. I want to get nothing by it. No man ever
less begrudged to his elder brother than I do all that belongs to him.
Though he has himself treated me badly, I would support him in anything
for the sake of the family. At this moment I most heartily wish that
the child may be Lord Popenjoy. The matter will destroy all my
happiness perhaps for the next ten years;--perhaps for ever. And I
cannot but think that the Dean has interfered in a most unjustifiable
manner. He drives me on, so that I almost feel that I shall be forced
to quarrel with him. With him it is manifestly personal ambition, and
not duty." There was much more of it in the same strain, but at the
same time an acknowledgment that he had now instructed the Dean's
lawyer to make the inquiry.

Lady Sarah's answer was perhaps more judicious; and as it was shorter
it shall be given entire.

"Cross Hall, May 10, 187--.

"MY DEAR GEORGE,--Of course it is a sad thing to us all that this
terrible inquiry should be forced upon us;--and more grievous to
you than to us, as you must take the active part in it. But this
is a manifest duty, and duties are seldom altogether pleasant. All
that you say as to yourself,--which I know to be absolutely
true,--must at any rate make your conscience clear in the matter.
It is not for your sake nor for our sake that this is to be done,
but for the sake of the family at large, and to prevent the
necessity of future lawsuits which would be ruinous to the
property. If the child be legitimate, let that, in God's name, be
proclaimed so loud that no one shall hereafter be able to cast a
doubt upon the fact. To us it must be matter of deepest sorrow
that our brother's child and the future head of our family should
have been born under circumstances which, at the best, must still
be disgraceful. But, although that is so, it will be equally our
duty to acknowledge his rights to the full, if they be his rights.
Though the son of the widow of a lunatic foreigner, still if the
law says that he is Brotherton's heir, it is for us to render the
difficulties in his way as light as possible. But that we may do
so, we must know what he is.

"Of course you find the Dean to be pushing and perhaps a little
vulgar. No doubt with him the chief feeling is one of personal
ambition. But in his way he is wise, and I do not know that in