nned with the view of passing off a
supposititious child upon the property and title. The Dean, however,
kept his opinion very much to himself.

Of course tidings of the migration were sent to Munster Court. Lady
Sarah wrote to her brother, and the Dean wrote to his daughter. "What
shall you do, George? Shall you go and see him?"

"I don't know what I shall do?"

"Ought I to go?"

"Certainly not. You could only call on her, and she has not even seen
my mother and sisters. When I was there he would not introduce me to
her, though he sent for the child. I suppose I had better go. I do not
want to quarrel with him if I can help it."

"You have offered to do everything together with him, if only he would
let you."

"I must say that your father has driven me on in a manner which
Brotherton would be sure to resent."

"Papa has done everything from a sense of duty, George."

"Perhaps so. I don't know how that is. It is very hard sometimes to
divide a sense of duty from one's own interest. But it has made me very
miserable,--very wretched, indeed."

"Oh George; is it my fault?"

"No; not your fault. If there is one thing worse to me than another, it
is the feeling of being divided from my own family. Brotherton has
behaved badly to me."

"Very badly."

"And yet I would give anything to be on good terms with him. I think I
shall go and call. He is at an hotel in Albemarle Street. I have done
nothing to deserve ill of him, if he knew all."

It should, of course, be understood that Lord George did not at all
know the state of his brother's mind towards him, except as it had been
exhibited at that one interview which had taken place between them at
Manor Cross. He was aware that in every conversation which he had had
with the lawyers,--both with Mr. Battle and Mr. Stokes,--he had
invariably expressed himself as desirous of establishing the legitimacy
of the boy's birth. If Mr. Stokes had repeated to his brother what he
had said, and had done him the justice of explaining that in all that
he did he was simply desirous of performing his duty to the family,
surely his brother would not be angry with him! At any rate it would
not suit him to be afraid of his brother, and he went to the hotel.
After being kept waiting in the hall for about ten minutes, the Italian
courier came down to him. The Marquis at the present moment was not
dressed, and Lord George did not like being kept waiting. Would Lord
George call at three