to go up to Scumberg's just at present.

Then there came further tidings. Mrs. Toff was told that the Italian
Marchioness had gone away, and had taken Popenjoy with her. There was
not anything necessarily singular in this. When a gentleman is going
abroad with his family, he and his family need not as a matter of
course travel together. Lord Brotherton had declared his purpose of
returning to Italy, and there could be no reason why his wife, with the
nurses and the august Popenjoy, should not go before him. It was just
such an arrangement as such a man as Lord Brotherton would certainly
make. But Mrs. Toff was sure that there was more in it than this. The
Italian Marchioness had gone off very suddenly. There had been no grand
packing up;--but there had been some very angry words. And Popenjoy,
when he was taken away, was supposed to be in a very poor condition of
health. All this created renewed doubts in the mind of Lord George, or
rather, perhaps, renewed hopes. Perhaps, after all, Popenjoy was not
Popenjoy. And even if he were, it seemed that everyone concurred in
thinking that the poor boy would die. Surely the Marquis would not have
allowed a sick child to be carried away by an indiscreet Italian mother
if he cared much for the sick child. But then Lord George had no real
knowledge of these transactions. All this had come through Mrs. Toff,
and he was hardly able to rely upon Mrs. Toff. Could he have
communicated with the Dean, the Dean would soon have found out the
truth. The Dean would have flown up to London and have known all about
it in a couple of hours; but Lord George was not active and clever as
the Dean.

Then he wrote a letter to his brother;--as follows;--

"MY DEAR BROTHERTON,--We have heard through Mr. Knox that you wish
us to move to Manor Cross at once, and we are preparing to do so.
It is very kind of you to let us have the house, as Cross Hall is
not all that my mother likes, and as there would hardly be room
for us should my wife have children. I ought perhaps to have told
you sooner that she is in the family way. We hear too that you are
thinking of starting for Italy very soon, and that the Marchioness
and Popenjoy have already gone. Would it suit you to tell us
something of your future plans? It is not that I want to be
inquisitive, but that I should like to know with reference to your
comfort and our own whether you think that you will