MffT. Of CALIF. LIBRARY. LOS ANGELES
 
 Bppletons' 
 
 Uowti ant) Country 
 
 Xibrarp 
 
 No. 184 
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE 
 
 BY 
 
 L B. WALFORD 
 
 AUTHOR OF MR. SMITH, THE BABY'S GRANDMOTHER, ETC. 
 
 NEW YORK 
 D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 
 
 1896
 
 COPYRIGHT, 1895, 
 BY D. APPLETON AND COMPANY.
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 CHAPTEE I. 
 
 "ONLY little May Duncan! That's what I 
 can't get over ! " 
 
 Something had befallen little May Duncan, 
 and the matter was being discussed by two of her 
 old friends in common perhaps with all who had 
 ever known the girl, or anything about her. 
 
 The faces of the two who were now speaking 
 alike wore a curious expression. There was ex- 
 citement and elation, together with a certain 
 amount of discomfiture, visible upon each. 
 
 Every now and then one would burst forth 
 with a fresh remark which had yet obviously 
 nothing new in it, but which would set up a 
 vehement chatter for a few minutes and this 
 again would cease as suddenly as it had begun, 
 
 and the two sit and stare vacantly into space, as 
 i 
 
 2133596
 
 2 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 though contemplating a problem which neither 
 knew how to solve. 
 
 " If May were extraordinarily pretty, or ex- 
 traordinarily clever, or extraordinarily rich, or 
 extraordinarily anything," exclaimed Georgina, 
 with ever-rising accentuation, after one of those 
 " flashes of silence," " there would be something 
 to go upon. Of course, there always are people 
 of whom one predicts all sorts of possibilities. 
 But May is nothing literally nothing different 
 from the rest of us. You, or I, or Janet would 
 have made every bit as good a countess. And 
 she had no idea of being one either when she ac- 
 cepted that silly boy ! We all thought her rather 
 a goose, don't you remember ? " 
 
 " We thought he only took up with May be- 
 cause none of the rest of us would have anything 
 to do with him," nodded her sister. " He bored 
 us ; and I believe if we hadn't laughed at him 
 and made fun of his being rather a ' softy ' that 
 he would much rather have come to our house 
 than to the Duncans'." 
 
 Something in her tone made Georgina turn 
 round sharply. " What do you mean by that ? 
 Do you mean you think we lost a chance ? Speak 
 for yourself if you do. /wouldn't have married
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 3 
 
 Dolly Feveril if I had known lie was ten times 
 more likely to come into an earldom than he 
 seemed to be two years ago. He was three off 
 then ; and, to do May justice, I don't believe she 
 ever gave the idea of his succeeding a thought. 
 But he was her first offer, and she was the sort of 
 girl to marry the first man who asked her." 
 
 "And his people seemed all well enough 
 pleased," meditated Chatty, after a pause. " We 
 all thought they rather jumped at May. Don't 
 you remember what father said that her money 
 would just about keep him, and that he was ' a 
 weakly young fellow with no brains, who would 
 never have been able to keep himself ' ? I re- 
 member hearing father talk about it with old 
 Mrs. Gregorson; and they both agreed that if 
 May's parents had been alive she would never 
 have been allowed to throw herself away. But 
 May just did what she liked with that poor stupid 
 old aunt of hers, who was too ill at the time to 
 care much about anything, and talked about its 
 being a Providence that her niece should have a 
 home of her own and a husband, as it was sup- 
 posed she herself was going to die. And after 
 all she never died, but is alive at this moment ! " 
 concluded the speaker in an aggrieved tone.
 
 4 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 "Indeed she will take a new lease of life 
 now," laughed her sister. "Poor old thing! I 
 don't grudge her the luck not in the least. I 
 don't suppose I really grudge it May either. 
 Only it does seem so the fact is, I can't under- 
 stand it." 
 
 " No one can understand it." 
 
 The door opened and voices were heard in the 
 passage outside. 
 
 "Oh, yes, they're in here, Mrs. Duncan. 
 Girls, here is Mrs. Duncan come over to tell us 
 about May." And two elderly ladies rustled 
 through the doorway, the one in cloak and bon- 
 net being greeted effusively by the daughters of 
 the house. 
 
 "Mrs. Duncan thought she must come over 
 herself to tell us about May," proceeded the 
 speaker in a carefully-pleased and interested 
 voice, for Mrs. Macinroy was one who never 
 neglected small things, and had the reputation of 
 being a civil, agreeable woman. " I have been 
 telling Mrs. Duncan that a rumour had just 
 reached us, but we take it none the less kind of 
 her to come over herself." 
 
 " Do sit down, Mrs. Duncan ! " Both Georg- 
 ina and Charlotte hastened to do the honours of
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 5 
 
 their pretty morning room, and a comfortable 
 armchair was pushed forward. "Do sit down 
 and tell us all about it. When did you hear? 
 Did May write ? Or did x you only see it in the 
 newspapers ? Of course, you knew that the other 
 two men had died." 
 
 " My dear Georgie ! The other two men ! " 
 Georgie's mother looked an elaborate remon- 
 strance. " "What a way to talk, my dear ! " 
 
 " Oh, well ; Mrs. Duncan understands. I don't 
 know what their names were, but I know they 
 seemed to prevent Dolly Feveril's having a 
 chance. He was only a distant cousin, wasn't 
 he?" 
 
 " Dolly's father was the Earl of St. Bees' first 
 cousin," exclaimed Mrs. Duncan, solemnly. " The 
 earl had a son and a nephew ; both of whom, as 
 you truly remark, Georgina, would have suc- 
 ceeded to the title and estates before my niece's 
 husband." 
 
 (" Humph ! That is being pretty grand ! My 
 niece's husband ! " muttered Georgina, internally. 
 " My niece's husband ! That is beginning soon, I 
 must say.") 
 
 "And the earl himself might have married 
 again, and cut out the nephew any way, even if
 
 6 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 he couldn't the son," interposed Mrs. Macinroy, 
 in a cheerful, congratulatory voice. " Quite a 
 youngish man, as one might say. Not much over 
 sixty. No one would ever have dreamed, with all 
 those three well and hearty, when Dolly Feveril 
 married little May, that he and she were going to 
 step into such grandeur before a couple of years 
 were out." 
 
 " She knew, of course, that she was marrying 
 into a great family," quoth Mrs. Duncan, stiffly. 
 
 And she had scarcely taken her leave before 
 this stiffness, this sudden accession of dignity and 
 formality, was the subject for jest and comment 
 on the part of the three left behind. 
 
 " Upon my word, it was as if she had become 
 ' My Lady ' herself ! " cried Mrs. Macinroy, with 
 pink, flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes. " Upon 
 my word, she is as much set up as though she 
 were ! " 
 
 They had known their old neighbour through 
 storm and sunshine for twenty years, and thought 
 they knew her through and through. If they had 
 held her in a certain measure of contempt, it was 
 contempt in which respect was mingled, and 
 wherein there was, moreover, a full admixture of 
 goodwill. She was " A good old creature," " A
 
 SUCCESSORS OP THE TITLE. f 
 
 poor old dear " occasionally tiresome, but invari- 
 ably harmless. 
 
 Everybody had thought it somewhat weak and 
 silly of Mrs. Duncan to be so well satisfied with 
 young Dolly Feveril as a suitor for her niece 
 but had excused such want of worldly wisdom on 
 the plea of her being an invalid anxious not to 
 leave a motherless girl alone in the world, should 
 her doctor's prognostications and her own prove 
 true. When, to the surprise of all, the sick lady 
 recovered, and was, to all intents and purposes, as 
 well as ever, people said anew that May Duncan, 
 with her nice little fortune, might as well have 
 remained in the neighbourhood, instead of bene- 
 fiting a "feckless" stranger, who had come thither 
 to recruit Ms energies, after the wear and tear of 
 a competitive examination, in which he had failed 
 to pass. 
 
 One and all agreed that Dolly Feveril was an 
 idle, useless young man, and brainless, forbye. 
 He might be respectable enough, but he had no 
 business to think of matrimony. An indolent 
 youth, he had no right to take each day as it 
 came troubling himself in no wise about the 
 future, especially as it was understood that he had 
 only himself to depend upon, with relations not
 
 g SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 disposed to do more for him than relations usually 
 do, when the tie of kindred is not supplemented 
 by the tie of affection. Accordingly, heads were 
 shaken over Dolly Feveril, and the Macinroys in 
 particular had discouraged his coming over to 
 Dalgenny House, as often he had begun to do on 
 first arriving in the neighbourhood. 
 
 It was true, truer than Georgina Macinroy 
 had any idea of, that the chance, if chance it 
 were, of becoming a countess had been hers, and 
 passed on by her to another. She it was who, to 
 rid herself of a young man whose company she 
 did not affect, had paired him off with her friend 
 during the whole of a long summer day, at the 
 end of which Dolly was quite sure he was in 
 love. 
 
 Somebody or other was bound to capture 
 Dolly's heart that day. A reaction had set in 
 with him. He had bolted off to Scotland men- 
 tally and bodily fagged out, and the one solace of 
 the modification of failure which had been added 
 to the previous strain, was obtained by the gentle 
 art of angling, in which he was a proficient. 
 
 A week passed, during which he spent 
 every hour along the sunny banks of a broad 
 salmon river and the peaceful, out-of-door life
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 9 
 
 speedily restored all the energies he had ever 
 possessed. 
 
 Then the want of a change began to make 
 itself felt. He would like to speak to someone 
 anyone a person of his own age, and of the 
 other sex best of all. It chanced that he had an 
 introduction to Mr. Macinroy in his pocket. Mr. 
 Macinroy was factor on one of the estates through 
 which ran the river he had come to fish. Directly 
 our young gentleman found Mr. Macinroy had 
 daughters he presented the introduction. 
 
 And after this he would have presented him- 
 self at Dalgenny very much oftener than 'Miss 
 Georgina Macinroy approved, had it not been her 
 happy thought of pairing him off with little May 
 Duncan a device which succeeded beyond all 
 anticipation. 
 
 Georgina had, it is true, been as much taken 
 aback as anyone when bright little May ran 
 beaming in one fine morning, to announce that 
 she and Dolly were engaged, and to tell all about 
 how it took place, and how she knew it was 
 coming, and how Dolly had come to their house 
 late the evening before and wouldn't go away, 
 and Aunt Jean wouldn't see that he .had something 
 on his mind ; and how at last she herself had to
 
 10 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 make some pretence for going on to the lawn, 
 and Dolly was after her through the open window 
 in a moment. 
 
 "And do you mean to say you are really 
 going to marry him ? " Georgina had cried out 
 at this point. " Of course I have not a word to 
 say against Dolly Feveril, only he does seem so 
 very he is such a boy and thinks of nothing 
 but fishing ! If he is not doing that, he would 
 be content to lie under the trees all day 
 long." 
 
 Georgina had, however, been obliged to eat 
 her words. May, with an upright figure and red 
 cheeks, had indignantly denied the truth of the 
 picture; and, although the scene had ended in 
 good humour, it had been apparent that no one in 
 future was to term Dolly Feveril " a boy " in the 
 presence of his betrothed. 
 
 A speedy marriage had followed. It was sur- 
 mised that Dolly's kith and kin hailed with joyful 
 alacrity the prospect of seeing a youth provided 
 for who would never have been able to provide 
 for himself ; and the young couple had vanished 
 from the neighbourhood, returning only at inter- 
 vals to pay Mrs. Duncan a visit, or, more strictly 
 speaking, to permit of Dolly's once more wander-
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. H 
 
 ing, rod in hand, from pool to pool, along the 
 banks of the salmon river. 
 
 No one took any particular interest in the 
 Feverils as a married pair. May was just May, 
 a shade more smartly dressed than of yore, and 
 inclined to talk of people and places unknown to 
 her former neighbours. But this was natural, 
 and in its way amusing. Georgina and Charlotte 
 thought their old companion better company than 
 she used to be, even if they still patronised her 
 and called her " little May." But when so much 
 had been conceded, there was nothing else to be 
 said. As for May's husband, he was still less 
 altered. In short, there was but one opinion 
 current the Feverils were an uninteresting, if 
 estimable, young couple, of whom nothing was to 
 be predicted, and who did not even bring a baby 
 to be exhibited and made much of by former 
 friends and acquaintances. 
 
 When it was known that they were stopping 
 at Fairlawn, Georgina Macinroy would say to her 
 sister, " Someone must go over and see May 
 Feveril." To which Charlotte would reply, 
 "Well, you go; I 'can't." Then, as often as not, 
 Georgina would find it equally impossible to 
 make the call; and as it would never occur to
 
 12 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 either daughter to suggest their mother's troub- 
 ling herself on account of so insignificant a per- 
 sonage as their little neighbour and associate of 
 old, it chanced more than once that May, who 
 had no idea of standing upon her own dignity, 
 took the initiative, and appeared at Dalgenny 
 before any of its inmates had found their way to 
 Fairlawn. 
 
 Upon the death of the intermediate heirs re- 
 lerred to by Georgma as the " two men," a slight 
 ripple of curiosity had, it is true, made itself felt 
 among young Mrs. Feveril's former acquaint- 
 ances. Mrs. Macmroy had gone so far as to ex- 
 claim : " Dear me ! One never knows what may 
 happen ! " And had the contingency mentally 
 referred to been of lesser magnitude than it was, 
 it is probable that it would have been taken more 
 into account. 
 
 But the idea was too large to grasp. It 
 loomed for a moment on the horizon, and faded 
 again. 
 
 The Feverils were abroad when the last death 
 occurred, and, truth to tell, no one precisely 
 knew what difference such an event was likely 
 to make to Dolly's prospects. The neighbour- 
 hood of Yesterby only knew him as a cousin a
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 13 
 
 poor cousin of the reigning Earl of St. Bees 
 and somehow (for human nature is the same 
 everywhere) families into whom Dolly had not 
 married were very particular in not bestowing 
 upon him any sort of status to which in their 
 minds he was not entitled by the strictest rule 
 and regulation. 
 
 " So Dolly is in a kind of a way the heir now ! " 
 was all that Mrs. Macinroy could bring herself to 
 say, even when the death of Lord St. Bees' only son 
 was announced. " As long as no one else steps in, 
 I suppose Dolly may be considered as the heir." 
 
 As neither she, nor the person to whom she 
 addressed herself, had any but the vaguest notions 
 as to " how such things were managed " in great 
 families, and as Dolly, to do him justice, had 
 never sought to enlighten their understandings, the 
 remark was good enough for its purpose ; and the 
 phrase, " in a kind of a way the heir," was adopted 
 in the Macinroys' circle as a fitting and suitable one 
 when young Feveril's prospects were discussed. 
 
 It fell like a thunder clap upon the whole 
 country side when another sudden and most un- 
 expected demise brought Dolly's name into the 
 papers as the successor to the ancient earldom and 
 large estates of St. Bees.
 
 CHAPTEE II. 
 
 IT is, as we know, the unexpected which 
 always happens. 
 
 Two young people had just come down to 
 breakfast in the large saloon in a foreign hotel, 
 and the morning post was being distributed as 
 they passed up the room. 
 
 "A pack of bills," quoth Dolly Feveril, 
 rapidly glancing over a number of uninteresting- 
 looking blue envelopes directed by clerkily hands. 
 " How on earth have they found me out ? I am 
 
 sure I never left any address " he broke off 
 
 suddenly. " But duns will ferret you out, though 
 you are at the bottom of a lake with a mountain 
 piled on the top of you," the simile being sug- 
 gested by the prospect without, where sunny 
 green slopes were mirrored in glassy waters be- 
 neath. 
 
 "I shan't let them spoil my breakfast, any- 
 way," the speaker continued decisively. " What's 
 
 14
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. J5 
 
 the good of living abroad if you're to be bothered 
 bj bills just the same as if you were at home ? 
 Look here, May, put a roll and some tongue in 
 your pocket, and I'll do the same ; then we shan't 
 need to come home for luncheon, and can go much 
 further down the lake than we did yesterday. 
 They say there is a much better fishing bank than 
 any we have tried yet, about a mile beyond the 
 furthest point we reached last night." 
 
 "We must get into the shade," suggested 
 she, " for yesterday I blistered my face in the 
 sun, as I could not hold up a parasol. Do look, 
 Dolly." 
 
 " Oh, it's all right," said Dolly, indifferently. 
 " Everybody gets burnt more or less in Switzer- 
 land. How soon will you start ? " 
 
 " As soon as you like." 
 
 "In half an hour?" 
 
 " Yery well, in half an hour." 
 
 " I'll go and order the boat, then," concluded 
 Dolly, between hungry mouthfuls, " as soon as I 
 have had eno.ugh breakfast ; and you can follow 
 me down to the place. It will take you longer 
 to rig out than I, and it's a pity to waste a minute 
 on a day like this." He rose almost as he spoke, 
 and thrust the letters on the table into his pocket.
 
 16 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 " Mind you are as quick as you can," he exhorted 
 as he left the room. 
 
 His wife, equally eager, equally young, care- 
 less, and happy, was soon once more by his side, 
 and a long, jocund day was spent either in hang- 
 ing, rod in hand, over the sparkling, glittering 
 water, or in roaming among the woods which 
 fringed its bank. Neither gave the letters in 
 Dolly's pocket a second thought. 
 
 They were but a pair of children after all 
 children to whom the present hour was every- 
 thing, the future nothing. Perhaps they had 
 rather " outrun the constable " of late but what 
 then ? Everyone did at some time or other, and 
 May's dividends, coming in regularly as they did, 
 would soon pull all straight again. 
 
 Indeed, Dolly was not a spendthrift only a 
 happy-go-lucky, improvident youth; while May 
 knew nothing of the value of money, and it 
 drifted away from her in all directions without, 
 it seemed, any act of voh'tion on her part. 
 
 The two were leading a harmless life enough, 
 if it were, so far, one without aim or purpose 
 beyond enjoyment. There was, at any rate, noth- 
 ing in it with which the world could find fault ; 
 and as there was nothing on the other part for it
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. If 
 
 to applaud, the young people were, like many 
 others so circumstanced, of importance only to 
 themselves, and of but slight account in the 
 general estimation. 
 
 All of this was now to be changed in the 
 twinkling of an eye. 
 
 " Oh ! Dolly, dear, I am so tired, I really don't 
 think I can go down to the table d'hote. Dolly, 
 send me up some dinner, like a good boy, and let 
 me sit and eat it here by the open window in my 
 dressing-gown. This is such a nice, cool room," 
 and May sank into a low chair with a sigh of 
 satisfaction. Then, more briskly, " Mind, Dolly, 
 I'm very hungry. Tell them to bring me up all 
 that's going; and it will be such a comfort to eat 
 alone and in peace." 
 
 " Aren't you coming down at all to-night ? " 
 
 "Now, Dolly, don't bother me. Can't you 
 see how snug and comfortable I shall be ? It's 
 nothing for you to dress and go down; you'd 
 have to get into another suit, anyway ; but I 
 should have to screw myself into one of my smart 
 frocks, and do my hair all over again and I 
 should look ugly at the end, with my face and 
 neck all burnt, and my eyes as white as that girl's 
 last night. Oh, Dolly, did vou see her ? I meant
 
 18 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 to point her out, but I forgot. She was a guy ! 
 She had been up some mountain or other, and 
 tramped in just before dinner so hot and blowsy, 
 with her eyes looking almost white against the red 
 of her forehead and cheeks ! Dolly, you wouldn't 
 like me to look hot and blowsy, would you?" 
 insinuatingly. 
 
 " All right ; / don't mind." Dolly never did 
 mind anything. " You'll miss the evening band, 
 that's all. But if you'd rather stay upstairs it is 
 jolly here, I must say." 
 
 " And I am so comfortable." May burrowed 
 still deeper in her low chair, and shook her unfast- 
 ened hair over the back. She had fine hair, long, 
 thick, and of a ruddy chestnut colour. " It is so 
 nice to get it away from the back of my neck," 
 she proceeded, rolling her head from side to side 
 against the cool wickerwork of the chair, in order 
 to feel the relief. " I wish you could brush it for 
 me, Dolly, dear ; but, perhaps, as you can't, you 
 had better be off. You are not much good as a 
 husband, though you are pretty well as a fishing 
 companion," and the two laughed in unison. 
 
 " "Well, now, I'm ready ; I only want my 
 watch," said Dolly, bustling about. " "Where on 
 earth did I put it ? Oh, here, under these beasts
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 19 
 
 of letters. I say, you might just look them 
 through while I am downstairs," subjoined he, 
 tossing them into his wife's lap. " They can't be 
 very urgent, for we are really quite decently 
 above water just now. But if any of them seem 
 to want an answer badly, you can scribble a line 
 to say we'll pay up the end of the month. I'll 
 run up and see how you are after dinner," and 
 kissing her as he passed, he opened the door as 
 the gong sounded from below. 
 
 Scarcely had the soup and fish gone round, 
 than an unusual thing happened at the dinner- 
 table at the Schweitzer-Hof. Dinner at this 
 hotel the great hotel of Lucerne is a function 
 not to be lightly intruded upon, and even tele- 
 grams are occasionally withheld until their recip- 
 ients have risen from the table. Eating and 
 drinking are understood to have precedence for 
 the time being wherefore to see a man rise up 
 suddenly with a startled look upon his face, and 
 abandon a plate of savoury food just placed be- 
 fore him, is an unusual, not to say disconcerting 
 apparition. 
 
 Dolly Feveril was, moreover, in the midst of 
 an animated dialogue with his next neighbour 
 on the topic of all others most interesting to
 
 20 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 himself namely, that of fishing when the little 
 slip of paper was put into his hand, which made 
 him forget what he was going to say next, and 
 stare as though he had seen a ghost. 
 
 Only a couple of lines were scrawled in pencil 
 on the paper ; and these were almost illegible, for 
 May had written them with a hand shaking with 
 agitation, " Come up at once. Such news. You 
 are the Earl of St. Bees ! " 
 
 In a single moment Dolly seemed to know 
 as well as if he had been meditating upon it 
 ever since the day of his birth, all that was 
 meant by being Earl of St. Bees. 
 
 Perhaps, in spite of his easy nature and in- 
 dolent contentment with his lot, he had given 
 more thought to the matter than people sup- 
 posed. In a flash there now rose before his 
 eyes the great ancestral mansion standing in the 
 midst of its velvet lawns and flowering terraces ; 
 he saw the long, broad avenues stretching away 
 beneath their arches of foliage on this side and 
 that ; the deer-park, with its peaceful herds 
 browsing at sunset ; the shining river bordering 
 the whole domain and he saw himself as a 
 little lonely boy being taken round to be im- 
 pressed by all the grandeur and display which
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 21 
 
 was one day to belong to his more fortunate 
 relation who, he could perceive even then, re- 
 garded him with the eyes of a superior. 
 
 Dolly's parents had not been popular in the 
 family, and with his father's death his claim 
 even to such notice as had hitherto been con- 
 ceded, was at an end. 
 
 He had never again been invited to the great 
 place, with all its luxuries and enjoyments ; and 
 gradually these had faded into a memory some- 
 times into rather a bitter memory. They might 
 have let him come now and then during the 
 fishing season, he thought. He would have 
 been in no one's way would even have slept 
 at the keeper's if not wanted at the house. He 
 would have liked just to rove about the woods, 
 and feed the ducks in the ornamental water, and 
 find their nests on the island in the hatching 
 season. No one need have been the wiser. 
 
 Gradually, however, the poor boy had for- 
 gotten to think even about such a project. It 
 was so completely out of the minds of others 
 that it dropped from his own also. 
 
 When his cousin Tom died he was rather 
 sorry because Tom was the only one of the 
 family who ever came to see him or seemed to
 
 22 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 remember that he ever had an existence; but 
 Tom being only the nephew, not the son, of the 
 house, his demise made no difference either in 
 Dolly's estimation of himself or in other people's 
 of Dolly. 
 
 The latter did not even say to his wife, 
 "That brings me one nearer the peerage," as a 
 calculating young man might have done. He 
 only said, "Poor Tom; I shall miss him some- 
 how ; though I only saw him about once a 
 year." 
 
 Then Cyril, the only son and heir, followed 
 his cousin within six months to the grave. " By 
 Jove ! " said Dolly, when the lawyers wrote to 
 him, and Burke and Debrett sent to ask par- 
 ticulars for their new editions. " By Jove ! I 
 am turned into a regular swell." 
 
 It was only, however, a flash in the pan, he 
 considered. After a few letters had passed, and 
 he had answered all inquiries, and found that 
 they led to nothing, and that his own lif e flowed 
 on exactly as it did before, Dolly, as we have 
 said, made no more account of his new position. 
 His very simplicity served him instead of wis- 
 dom. 
 
 But now now it appeared that the heavens
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 23 
 
 had actually fallen! There was no wisdom re- 
 quired in shutting his eyes to the brilliant future 
 unfolded before his gaze by the little scrap of 
 paper crunched up between his fingers. It did 
 not say, " You may be you have a possible 
 chance of being some time or other" it said, 
 " You are the Earl of St. Bees." Viola la dif- 
 ference ! 
 
 Without a single word to anyone, and in utter 
 disregard of a sympathetic interrogation which 
 escaped his neighbour, the young man rose, 
 almost staggering, to his feet, pushed back his 
 chair dropping his napkin as he did so and 
 found himself at the other end of the great 
 saloon, pushing his way past the waiters in the 
 doorway, without being very well aware of how 
 he came there. 
 
 One or two voices accosted him, but the 
 speakers received no answer and even May's 
 impatience was satisfied by the celerity with 
 which her summons had been obeyed. 
 
 She was peeping from the bedroom doorway 
 a white-robed figure, with rippling hair over- 
 flowing either shoulder when Dolly's head ap- 
 peared above the staircase ; and, the passage be- 
 ing empty, new to meet him, letter in hand.
 
 24: SUCCESSORS TO TEE TITLE. 
 
 "Dolly oh, Dolly!" 
 
 "Hush! Come inside," whispered Dolly, in 
 panting excitement equalling her own. " Let's 
 see the letter, quick ! My goodness ! To think it 
 should have been one of those that came this 
 morning ! Just fancy if we had never opened it 
 at all ! " his confused sensations suggesting that in 
 such a case the whole stupendous announcement 
 might have resolved itself into a mirage. 
 
 " Dolly, I can't believe it ; can you ? " 
 
 "Let's be sure there's no mistake." Dolly's 
 heart was thumping, and his voice was a sound- 
 less whisper as he seated himself on a couch, feel- 
 ing literally unable to stand while May nestled 
 by his side, reading with his eyes as well as her 
 own, and ever and anon glancing into his face, as 
 though almost in terror lest she should suddenly 
 hear him burst out a laughing, and tell her she 
 had made some wild mistake. 
 
 It would have been like Dolly to laugh even 
 at such a jest against himself. Dolly never would 
 take things seriously. 
 
 Now and then his little Scotch wife, who had 
 a vein of Caledonian shrewdness and sense in her 
 nature, would be quite provoked by his invariable, 
 imperturbable nonchalance.
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 25 
 
 But she was not to be provoked on the present 
 occasion. 
 
 Indeed, she recognised in the silence with 
 which her husband perused the document in his 
 hand, something unknown in Dolly Feveril be- 
 fore, something which relegated him to his true 
 position, and restrained her own emotions from 
 finding vent until invited to do so. 
 
 Literally she durst not interrupt the pause 
 which followed. 
 
 At length Dolly himself spoke. " It seems all 
 straight enough," he said, passing his hand over 
 his forehead. " I don't see that there can be any 
 other meaning in the words though these lawyer 
 fellows have a knack of piling it up so as to make 
 something mysterious out of the plainest facts." 
 
 "But, Dolly, dear, surely there is nothing 
 very mysterious in that," said May, pointing with 
 her finger, and reading aloud as she ran it along 
 the lines. 
 
 " We regret to have to inform you that your 
 relative, the Earl of St. Bees, died suddenly this 
 morning, at Redditch Castle, after only a few 
 hours' illness. As you are the heir presumptive 
 or in point of fact, as you are now the holder 
 of the title and estates, we shall be glad if you
 
 26 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 will communicate with us at your earliest con- 
 
 venience 
 
 " There, you see," the reader broke off short, 
 " nothing could be simpler than that. You knew 
 you were the heir though you never would let 
 me speak about it, and always said that if Lord 
 St. Bees married again, he might have a dozen 
 children " 
 
 " I am sure I quite expected that he would," 
 said Dolly, looking round at her, and then gazing 
 in a blind, bewildered fashion out of the window. 
 " I wasn't going to turn into the sort of hanger-on 
 waiting for a dead man's shoes, which some fel- 
 lows do. It's beastly, I think. There's Harry 
 Scoberly, he's neither himself nor anybody else 
 since he became heir to his uncle, Sir Harry ! He 
 used to be a good fellow enough, as old Hal at 
 Winchester but now he gives himself such airs 
 and all on the faith of expectations which may 
 never come to anything in the end ! But I say, 
 May, this will rather take the wind out of his 
 sails, won't it? You remember we were both 
 disgusted at the way Harry changed his tone 
 when he found out that I was in as good or better 
 position that he was, last time we met? He 
 couldn't understand my saying it made no sort of
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 27 
 
 difference. Well," with a deep breath, "well, it 
 
 makes a difference now, by "Jove ! I 'pon 
 
 my word, I don't know how I feel ! Well, little 
 woman," turning down on her a tender glance, 
 and holding back her flowing hair with the hand 
 that lay across her shoulders, "well, you foolish 
 little thing, you threw yourself away upon me 
 ' for better, for worse,' and I expect most of your 
 friends thought it was a case of ' for worse.' What 
 do you say now ? " shaking her head backwards 
 and forwards by the hair, half playfully, half seri- 
 ously. " I declare I believe I am more glad for 
 your sake, May, than for my own. Although I 
 do like," his tone kindling, " to think of those 
 glorious woods, and the old heronry and the fish- 
 ponds you don't know what a place it is, May ! 
 And to think no, I can't think I can't under- 
 stand I can't believe. It's too much; it seems 
 impossible. Oh," throwing the letter from him 
 with a sudden revulsion of feeling, " I don't know 
 what I am saying, or what I am doing. But I 
 wish at least I almost wish that nothing had 
 ever happened, and that letter had never come I "
 
 CHAPTEK III. 
 
 " OH, they're abroad, or somewhere, I be- 
 lieve." 
 
 The Yicar of Eedditch was a typical John 
 Bull, with whom if a man were " abroad or some- 
 where " he might as well stay there, or be dead, 
 or anything else. He neither understood, nor 
 wished to understand, the nature of a rational 
 existence beyond the Channel that is to say, as 
 led by his compatriots. 
 
 With him going to Paris meant going to eat 
 frogs and learn vice ; a trip to China involved the 
 acquirement of a pig-tail; while Turkey sug- 
 gested a sack and the depths of the Bosphorus on 
 the instant. 
 
 For forty years he had been parish priest of a 
 small district in the heart of the country; and 
 although at rare intervals he and his solitary 
 middle-aged daughter did concede so much to 
 modern prejudice as to pass a couple of weeks in
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 9 
 
 the metropolis chiefly spent on his part in see- 
 ing cricket and on hers at picture galleries both 
 were soon fagged out by the unwonted dissipa- 
 tion, and returned with a sense of relief, almost 
 of exultation, to their own f amiliar haunts, where 
 they knew everybody, where every object had its 
 association, and where Mr. Kathbone, if not lord 
 of all, was, at any rate, somebody. 
 
 Perhaps no one short of Lord St. Bees him- 
 self, had felt the death of his two nearest heirs 
 more keenly than the vicar. 
 
 He had known the lads from infancy; they 
 were in a manner his own. From him they had 
 learnt the beginnings of all they knew ; and they 
 had haunted his house as their own during child- 
 hood, schoolboyhood, and youth. 
 
 When both were taken, and the terrible fact 
 had to be faced, that the great title and estates of 
 St. Bees must revert to a kinsman in whom 
 neither he nor his patron took the slightest in- 
 terest, and whose very existence had almost 
 ceased to be recognised, it had seemed that there 
 was nothing else for it than that the elderly peer 
 should, as speedily as possible, re-enter the bonds 
 of matrimony and hope for the best. Mr. E-ath- 
 bone had gone the length of openly imploring
 
 30 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 Lord St. Bees to do so and the petition had not 
 been received amiss. 
 
 Lord St. Bees was, it is true, a contented 
 widower of many years' standing. Nature 
 seemed never to have designed him for a husband 
 scarcely for a father but he had desired an 
 heir, and to that end had married when approach- 
 ing middle age. Within a year, the young wife, 
 who had consented to become a countess under 
 pressure, had yielded up her life, and lay within 
 the family vault, remembered only by the one 
 achievement which marked her brief tenure of 
 office. 
 
 She had presented her husband with the de- 
 sired son. And thus much having been accom- 
 plished, it was surmised that his regret for her 
 loss was but slight. 
 
 To be told roundly that he "had the whole 
 thing to begin over again," as he himself phrased 
 it, would have caused him to redden with vexa- 
 tion, had his counsellor been any other than the 
 faithful friend and neighbour of so many years' 
 duration. 
 
 But the two men understood each other ; felt 
 alike, suffered alike. 
 
 It was not even sympathy which the vicar
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 31 
 
 evinced on the momentous occasion above al- 
 luded to it was participation to the inmost fibre 
 of his soul. He had no need to say " I feel for 
 you; your trouble is my own." His dim eyes 
 and broken breath made words unnecessary. 
 There was a long conference, in which the one 
 spoke and the other listened; then there was a 
 close pressure of the hands, and the two parted at 
 the little side gate, from which a footpath led 
 straight into the vicarage garden ; and here Miss 
 Sybella was waiting, on thorns, to learn what had 
 passed, and how the mission had sped ? 
 
 " He will do it," said her father, nodding at 
 her. " He will do it, Sybella. I told him as it 
 was my duty to do all that was involved ; and 
 pointed out the strait that we were in though it 
 cut me to the heart to do so. But it seemed to 
 me that I could wait no longer. Poor Cyril has 
 been dead six months ; and here we are without 
 an heir, and, if anything were to happen, good 
 heavens ! it makes me hot and cold to think 
 of it ! " 
 
 " How did you begin, papa ? " 
 
 " Begin ? I'm sure I don't know how I began. 
 I don't fancy I ' began ' at all ; I just bounced 
 into the middle of it ! Luckily he was alone, and
 
 32 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 said he had been wanting to see me about the new 
 churchwardenship, and was starting upon it at 
 full length, when I got him stopped somehow. I 
 said : ' My lord, I'll do whatever you wish in the 
 matter. Regard it as settled. There is something 
 else far more important on my mind, and I must 
 ask you to let me have it out.' And then but 
 really, Sybella, I can't tell how, I found myself in 
 the very thick of all I had been thinking of all 
 we had both been thinking and saying to each 
 other during this past six months. At first 
 he coloured up he certainly did colour up a 
 good deal, and the corners of his mouth twitched 
 you know that way they have when he is 
 nervous. But he didn't attempt to interrupt 
 me. Indeed, I doubt if I should have allowed 
 myself to be interrupted. For it was so strongly 
 on my mind, and I had strung myself up to such 
 a pitch, that I shouldn't have swerved aside if I 
 had seen Balaam's ass herself in the way." 
 
 " My dear papa, you forget. It was the ass 
 who " 
 
 " Never mind never mind. Ass or no ass, I 
 can't stop to be so particular. You said you 
 wanted to hear how he took it," proceeded Mr. 
 Rathbone in an aggrieved tone, "and then you
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 33 
 
 must needs strike in just when I was going to tell 
 you!" 
 
 "I beg your pardon, dear papa, it was 
 only- - 
 
 " Do you want to hear, or do you not ? Well, 
 then, don't interrupt me again. I tell you I know 
 how to manage him " (at the vicarage Lord St. 
 Bees was simply " him ") " I know him in and out, 
 and through and through," proceeded the vicar, 
 regaining his equanimity, " and besides, I didn't 
 care if I did anger him I didn't care a snap of 
 my fingers. He might have told me to mind my 
 own business and not meddle in his family affairs ; 
 but have it out I would, even if it were but just 
 to plant the seed, and let it grow of itself. So I 
 gave it him all round ; and by and by I could see 
 his mouth relax, and his eyelids begin to twinkle. 
 Then I knew all was right. And then and 
 not till then I accused myself of impertinence. 
 "What do you think he said ? He just took me 
 by the hand and shook it, saying that if I were 
 impertinent I was the only man alive who had a 
 right to be so. After that we talked like brothers. 
 And I tell you what, Sybella, I believe he'll go 
 into action straight away. He regularly winced 
 when he spoke of the title's passing to that son of
 
 34: SUCCESSOES TO THE TITLE. 
 
 Adolplras Feveril, and said it was only one de- 
 gree better than if it had gone to Adolphns him- 
 self. He never could endure Adolplms no more 
 could any of us. Of course, the young man may 
 be nice enough but look what his parents were ! 
 The father, an idle, sponging, whining, poor re- 
 lation, who yet would cock his feather, and be as 
 bumptious as anybody the moment he was taken 
 the slightest notice of ! And the mother, a mere 
 nobody out of a country town, who knew nothing 
 about high life and its duties and responsibilities ! 
 Then the education they gave their boy ! He was 
 sent to a common school not such a school as a 
 nobleman's heir ought to be sent to at all " 
 
 "Probably they could not afford a better^' 
 hinted Miss Sybella, mildly. 
 
 "Just so; they could not afford it. They 
 could not afford to bring up their boy to the posi- 
 tion into which he has now been chucked by the 
 merest accident." 
 
 " Not quite by accident, dear papa." 
 
 "Hoots! You know what I mean. It is 
 quite an unforeseen turn of events, at any rate ; 
 and it's our business to see that it does not turn 
 out a most disastrous one. Poor Cyril! He 
 would have been an ideal Earl of St. Bees ! He
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 35 
 
 had grown into it from his cradle. He but 
 
 its no use lamenting. It was the will of Provi- 
 dence to take him, and all that remains for us to 
 do is to try and provide another. I have done 
 my part, and I am thankful it's over," taking off 
 his large broad-brimmed hat to cool his brow. 
 " So now, we must wait in patience to see what the 
 next step will be. He mustn't be hurried," revert- 
 ing to the central object of his thoughts. " I 
 shall never broach the subject to him again, but 
 let him begin of himself, when he's ready for fur- 
 ther discussion. Only, you mark my words, Sy- 
 bella, I prophesy that by this day next year we 
 shall have once more a countess reigning at the 
 castle." 
 
 The prediction, like many another of its kind, 
 was fulfilled in a manner little intended by its 
 author. 
 
 Had Lord St. Bees lived, it is true, there is 
 every reason to believe he would, at any rate, 
 have endeavoured to carry out the counsels of his 
 mentor. More than once during the few weeks 
 which followed their delivery, he voluntarily re- 
 curred to them ; and on each occasion expressed 
 his sense of their prudence, and his growing in- 
 tention of carrying them out in the future. But
 
 36 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 he was disinclined sorely disinclined to take 
 the plunge. 
 
 Lord St. Bees was a busy man, with a multi- 
 tude of interests. To the claims of large estates 
 upon their landlord, was united a considerable 
 amount of county business ; and he had, further- 
 more, ventures in other lands to be looked after, 
 and trusts to be superintended and checked. He 
 never felt himself free to embark upon a new proj- 
 ect ; had seldom leisure to chew the cud of a new 
 idea. He had lived in a groove for so many years 
 that even with its multifarious ties and obliga- 
 tions, the groove was easy and smooth to his feet 
 but they shrank from stepping over the side to 
 right or to left. 
 
 There was also another and an unsuspected 
 hindrance to immediate action. The earl himself 
 would have said that he was in a lazy mood, that 
 the heat of the summer months sapped his ener- 
 gies and made him languid and fit" for nothing but 
 his easy chair. When cooler weather came he 
 would renew his strength, and consider seriously 
 what course should be pursued in accordance with 
 the dictates of prudence and the obligations of his 
 ancient race. 
 
 One morning he even went so far as to pen a
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 37 
 
 note offering a visit to a distant relation, a county 
 magnate like himself, with a large family of 
 daughters, amongst whom it was possible a lady 
 might be found answering the requirements of his 
 case. 
 
 " There are six of them," he mused, his finger 
 on the page of Debrett in which the family was 
 detailed. " Six, and all over twenty. They must 
 be a monstrous plain set of women. But that's 
 neither here nor there. What is wanted is a 
 healthy, good-tempered, accommodating creature, 
 who would not require too much at my hands, 
 nor turn things upside down, once she was in- 
 stalled at the old place. People always say it is a 
 good thing to pick a wife out of a set of sisters. 
 Keswick's daughter would have had the nonsense 
 shaken out of her, and learned not to think too 
 much of herself. A good hearty country lass 
 that is what I am in search of ; not another fine 
 
 lady like but, 'tis ill speaking hard words of 
 
 the dead. She could not help being delicate, poor 
 thing," his thoughts reverting to the deceased 
 countess. " I ought to have known better than to 
 marry into that puny race ! " 
 
 He had then sealed and directed the envelope, 
 feeling he had done a good day's work.
 
 38 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 But the letter was never sent. And the sight 
 of it lying about unstamped for some days there- 
 after gave the worthy vicar of Kedditch many a 
 pang. 
 
 Somehow he suspected its purport. 
 
 He had himself casually let fall the fact that 
 the nobleman to whom it was addressed had many 
 olive-branches, of whom he had chanced to hear 
 an altogether satisfactory report. Lord St. Bees 
 had taken no notice at the tune, but before the 
 close of the interview he had, as he fancied, in 
 the easiest manner possible, reverted to the sub- 
 ject, and caused Mr. Rathbone to repeat precisely 
 all he knew. Mr. Rathbone had gone away chuck- 
 ling. 
 
 When within the next twenty-four hours he 
 was sent for in haste to the castle, where all was 
 confusion and dismay, his old friend and patron 
 lying unconscious, with laboured breath and slack- 
 ening pulses and his eye fell upon the letter with 
 which it appeared Lord St. Bees had been occu- 
 pied shortly before his seizure, the superscription 
 to his mind bore only too palpable witness to the 
 thoughts within the writer's bosom. 
 
 For three days the letter lay untouched where 
 the dying man had placed it ; then, when all was
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 39 
 
 over, Mr. Rathbone, unable longer to endure the 
 sight, enclosed it in a larger envelope and for- 
 warded it, together with a few explanatory words, 
 to its destination.- 
 
 This happened on the same day which saw 
 another missive penned to be sent further a-field ; 
 the family lawyer was actually writing to Dolly 
 Feveril in another room, whilst the vicar of Red- 
 ditch was mournfully despatching the now useless 
 note of relationly inquiry to Yiscount Keswick. 
 
 " Why did I wait so long ? " He took himself 
 to task that night. "This ought to have been 
 seen to years ago. Those poor dear boys neither 
 of them had an ounce of stamina. When Tom 
 died, at any rate, I should have struck in. I 
 should never have allowed a succession of such 
 importance to hang upon a single thread. What's 
 one life ? And poor dear Cyril so often ailing ! 
 I might have known. Although, on the other 
 hand," proceeded the old clergyman, shaking his 
 head, " I doubt I very much doubt whether he 
 would have listened to me while Cyril was alive. 
 Ah, well, it's over now, and we've got to face the 
 worst. A rattling, scampering, chattering young 
 fellow (if he's like what his father was), and a 
 wife as young and flighty as himself ! And these
 
 40 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 and their children are to be here, to live among 
 us, to reign over us till the end of time." 
 
 And each daj as he rose to face the world, 
 the old man's heart grew sorer, and more and 
 more estranged from the inevitable bond of union 
 to come.
 
 CHAPTEE IV. 
 
 A THEILL of excitement pervaded the whole 
 district surrounding Redditch Castle. Antago- 
 nism, and a certain species of dogged resentment 
 against Fate, might mingle with the feeling in 
 the breasts of the older inhabitants, but the 
 young, and those who had only of recent years 
 come to the place, were all for the new lord and 
 his lady, anticipating a gay time, and a brisk re- 
 newal of trade. 
 
 The very complaints of the old folks against 
 the distant heir whom Fortune had now put in 
 possession of the field, placed him favourably 
 before their eyes. He would have " No respect 
 for traditions," the vicar said. "Well, and what 
 were traditions ? He would not " Keep up the 
 family dignity." The family dignity had much 
 better not be kept up. He would be " Hail 
 fellow well met with every ne'er-do-weel in the 
 
 41
 
 42 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 place." The ne'er-do-weels grinned congratula- 
 tions to each other. 
 
 Poor Mr. Kathbone, going about with lugu- 
 brious face and dolorous voice taking it for 
 granted that everyone felt with him, and like 
 him had shock upon shock. Gratitude and 
 veneration, he declared, were no more. Old 
 feudal feeling had fled the face of the earth. 
 
 If there had ever existed the man calculated 
 to inspire respect and affection from rich and 
 poor alike, it was his beloved friend the late 
 (he had almost said the last) Earl of Bees. 
 Could anyone ever point to a single dereliction 
 of duty on the part of that most estimable noble- 
 man ? Could it ever be alleged that he had 
 been aught but a kind master and a just land- 
 lord ? Yet here had the grave scarcely closed 
 over his lamented remains, when one and all 
 were clamouring to know all there was to be 
 known about his successor; eager to form new 
 ties, and apparently oblivious of any former ob- 
 ligation, as well as indifferent to any sense of 
 loss. 
 
 " You must remember, dear father, that much 
 as we all regret the untimely death of "dear Lord 
 St. Bees," hinted Miss Sybella at last, u he was
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 43 
 
 hardly the same to us he was to you. He was 
 ahem a most excellent gentleman in his own 
 way " 
 
 " In his own way ! What do you mean by 
 ' In his own way ' ? " demanded the vicar, fierce- 
 ly. " What other way could he be excellent in 3 
 His own way, indeed ! " 
 
 " It was only a figure of speech, dear papa ; I 
 would not for the world suggest anything else ; 
 indeed, Lord St. Bees was always as nice and 
 pleasant as possible to me 
 
 " The best friend you ever had," growled her 
 father. 
 
 " Indeed I have always said so always 
 thought so; that is to say, he was your greatest 
 friend, so of course " 
 
 " Well ? And what would you have ? I sup- 
 pose my friends are yours, are they not ? A 
 pretty thing indeed, if a daughter is to turn up 
 her nose at her father's friends ! " 
 
 " Oh, papa ! Turn up my nose ! " 
 
 "I call it turning up your nose to talk of 
 Lord St. Bees being ' Excellent in his own way.' 
 I don't believe you would ever have said such a 
 thing if he had been alive, either," after a pause 
 during which Miss Sybella looked distressedly
 
 44 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 round, as though for some inspiration, which was 
 not forthcoming. 
 
 " You are just gone over to the new man like 
 the rest of them," proceeded the vicar testily. 
 " You women are all for novelty. And now 
 you'll be prancing up to the castle, and calling 
 on the silly creature " 
 
 " Of course I must call, papa." 
 
 " Oh, of course ! I knew you would ; and ex- 
 pect me to call, too, I'll be bound. And then I 
 shall have to walk up the old doorsteps and see a 
 new face meet me in the doorway and be asJced 
 my name ! " he broke off with a shudder of dis- 
 gust. 
 
 " It will be hard upon you, papa." The pic- 
 ture touched Miss Sybella, who knew his weak 
 point ; and she laid a sympathetic hand upon his 
 arm. " You have been accustomed to do so ex- 
 actly as you chose at the castle scarcely even to 
 feel yourself a visitor " 
 
 " And now I shall feel myself a stranger," the 
 corners of the old man's mouth quivered. 
 
 " Only for a very little while, papa. Only till 
 they are settled down, and get to know who we 
 are and all about us. And, papa, you must re- 
 member that there is some good I mean," cor-
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 45 
 
 recting herself hastily, " that a lady at the castle 
 you know, papa, it always was a little there 
 never was anybody for me to talk to." She got 
 to the point at last. " I know how nice it was 
 for you ; you were always perfectly happy in 
 Lord St. Bees' society, and perfectly content to 
 have no other. But I believe other people feel 
 as I do," concluded the speaker, with unwonted 
 temerity ; " deeply as we mourn Lord St. Bees' 
 death, it is not altogether a loss to the com- 
 munity." 
 
 Mr. Rathbone looked his daughter full in the 
 face, then walked to the door, opened it, and 
 slammed it after him. 
 
 " All the same, I am in the right." 
 The gentle spinster fortified herself by the 
 above reflection ; for, dutiful daughter though she 
 was, Miss Sybella could now and then make a 
 stand, and was not to be driven from it. " Papa 
 does not hear what the people say. They would 
 not say to him the things they say to me. And, 
 of course, Lord St. Bees was a good man, and did 
 his duty, and no one could honestly speak a word 
 against his character. But for my own part " 
 here the vicar's daughter nodded to herself em- 
 phatically, and with a keen delight in her own 
 4
 
 46 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 freedom of speech, feeling at once guilty and val- 
 orous in that she should at length dare to give 
 vent to the pent-up emotions of so many years 
 "for my own part, I never could see anything 
 very wonderful in Lord St. Bees, after all. I 
 often thought that if he had not been what he 
 was or, rather, who he was he would just have 
 been a stupid, tiresome body, with a knack of tak- 
 ing up a wrong notion of every subject, and need- 
 ing continually to have the right one argued into 
 him before he would adopt it. That suited papa ; 
 he liked to tell Lord St. Bees what to do, and to 
 find that he was obeyed in the long run, whatever 
 opposition might be started at the first. Of course 
 I was dreadfully shocked when the poor man died 
 so suddenly " (already the late peer had ceased to 
 be " him " in Sybella's mind, and she now thought 
 of him quite easily as the " poor man ") " but 
 when I am called upon to think that all the glory 
 has departed from Eedditch Castle, and that 
 henceforth it will be no more the head and centre 
 of the neighbourhood, I must beg leave to reserve 
 my opinion. Poor papa is hardly a competent 
 judge," she summed up decidedly. "We shall 
 see what we shall see." 
 
 The first thing that she saw on approaching
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. . 47 
 
 the castle the following day was a curly chestnut 
 head stretched far out of one of the windows, 
 thrown open as high as it would go. May was 
 inhaling the scent of the mignonette and sweet 
 peas, which was wafted upwards from a vast bed 
 upon the terrace below, where were also gerani- 
 ums, heliotropes, and begonias in a blaze of 
 bloom. 
 
 The young people had arrived the night be- 
 fore, dispensed with all ceremony, and driven 
 quietly to their new home. Dolly was now out, 
 and his wife, surfeited with exploring and admir- 
 ing, was well pleased to have her thoughts turned 
 in another direction by the entrance of a vis- 
 itor. 
 
 " I am afraid you are hardly unpacked yet," 
 began the latter, who had come armed with an 
 apology, " but my father fancied that there might 
 be some matters in which he and I could be of 
 help. My father is the vicar of the parish," sub- 
 joined Miss Rathbone hastily, and with a curious 
 sense of never having had to explain as much be- 
 fore. "He was was the late I mean he was 
 always on terms of the greatest intimacy that is, 
 we have lived here all our lives, and known the 
 St. Bees family ever since I was born," proceeded
 
 48 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 she in an incoherent nutter. "And my father 
 
 said I should call to-day, although he he " 
 
 The truth was, her father had flatly refused to 
 accompany her. " You can go if you like ; it will 
 have to come to that sooner or later, so you may 
 as well begin at once. But I can't go, I tell you. 
 For forty years I have regularly walked up to the 
 castle to pay my respects the day after the family 
 came home from wherever they had been first 
 in the old lord's time, and then in that of him 
 that's gone. Never but once did I fail to go, and 
 then father and mother (his parents, they were) 
 and sons and daughters even that poor hare- 
 brained Adolphus the nephew, as he was then- 
 every single member of the family who had 
 arrived, found his or her way down to ask how I 
 was ! For I was in bed with a chill, and the doc- 
 tor wouldn't hear of my getting out of it. I can 
 hear now the door-bell ringing all that afternoon, 
 and see the little servant girl we had, bringing in 
 the cards upon the plate ! And in the evening 
 there was game, and fruit and all the time I was 
 ill there was something every day." 
 
 " Dear papa, I don't wonder that you feel it." 
 How often had she heard the tale ! The ill- 
 ness had happened many, many years before,
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 49 
 
 when Sybella was quite a little girl 'but it had 
 remained as fresh as ever in the mind of the 
 seventy-year-old hale-and-hearty vicar, who had 
 never once spent a whole day in bed since that 
 memorable epoch. 
 
 " I daresay I could make your apologies, and 
 I could say that you would certainly call to- 
 morrow or the next day," she added tentatively. 
 
 " Say what you please for yourself, but say 
 nothing about me." But after a pause, and see- 
 ing she did not press the point, Mr. Eathbone 
 had conceded, "Well, well, you can make up 
 some sort of civility if you think it is absolutely 
 necessary. I suppose it would be rude to leave 
 me out of the question altogether." 
 
 " Considering your position, papa." 
 
 It had ended in her being allowed to say 
 something, the precise terms of which had not 
 been definitely fixed, and, so far satisfied, she had 
 set forth upon her mission. 
 
 " My husband is out, so I am glad you came 
 alone," said May frankly. " I was just wonder- 
 ing what I should do this afternoon. I have 
 been all over the house, and I feel such a funny 
 little creature in it. The servants began asking 
 me about things, but I didn't know what to say
 
 50 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 to them ; so I pretended I was tired, and couldn't 
 attend to anything to-day. To tell the truth, I 
 am rather afraid of them all ; and that is why I 
 am sitting up here. I am longing to go out 
 into that lovely garden, but I don't know how to 
 get to it ; and if I am found wandering about in 
 the passages, someone is sure to pounce upon me. 
 But I daresay you know the way " a bright 
 thought striking her " if you will take me ? " 
 
 " Oh, certainly," said Miss Sybella, smiling. 
 
 "Then shall I get on my hat? You don't 
 mind, do you ? "We can go and sit in the shade 
 if you are tired from walking here." 
 
 " I am not the least tired. It is only a step 
 from the vicarage. Just across that bit of the 
 park. There it is," pointing to a roof among the 
 trees, " within the park palings, you see." 
 
 "I see. I had been wondering what house 
 that was. Oh, how nice and near. Do you 
 know," confidingly, " I said to Dolly this morn- 
 ing, when we were looking out on every side, and 
 seeing nothing but our own woods whichever way 
 we turned, ' Where are our neighbours to come 
 from ? ' And Dolly could not recollect that there 
 were any neighbours to come from anywhere! 
 Dolly was only sixteen the last time he was here,
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 51 
 
 you know. But lie says lie never remembers 
 
 / v 
 
 people coming to call, or carriages at the door, or 
 things of that sort." 
 
 " Lord St. Bees was not fond of society," said 
 Miss Sybella somewhat stiffly. 
 
 " Oh, neither are we. Not of what people 
 call 'society.' And we both hate London, and 
 big towns generally. In fact, we know nothing 
 about them at least I don't. But still it would 
 be rather dull to have a nice place like this, and 
 no one come near it " 
 
 "My dear young lady" Miss Sybella had 
 nearly said, "My dear child," there was some- 
 thing so childlike in the face before her, so sim- 
 ple and winning in the little note of complaint 
 " you may be quite sure you will have as many 
 people as ever you want, ready to visit you at 
 Redditch Castle. Forgive my saying so, but per- 
 haps you hardly realise yet what an inheritance 
 your husband has entered into. You will take 
 not only the first position in the county 
 
 " Dolly told me so " 
 
 " And of course it will entail a great deal of 
 responsibility of course it has its duties and 
 obligations as well as its pleasures," proceeded 
 Miss Sybella, who thought she now saw her op-
 
 52 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 portunity. " A great position has to be faced in 
 all its bearings " 
 
 " Suppose I get my hat, and you tell me all 
 about it out-of-doors. But please don't leave this 
 room while I am away, or I should never find you 
 again. I know my way back here, but I have no 
 idea how to get to the other rooms ; I was always 
 losing myself about the big hotels on the Con- 
 tinent." And off she flew. 
 
 " Leave this room ! " murmured Miss Sybella 
 to herself. " How very odd ! She seems to 
 know nothing about conventionalities. As if I 
 should go roaming about the house during a 
 morning call, directly I was left by myself ! My 
 father warned me what I should find her an 
 utterly ignorant, unsophisticated girl. I am 
 afraid he is right. She is simple and pleasing, 
 but she is not a fit person to be the Countess of 
 St. Bees. And the world will say so and it will 
 break papa's heart ! " 
 
 May, however, came back all unconscious. 
 " Here I am, and I haven't kept you long, have 
 I? I had to dodge old Mrs. What's-her-name, 
 however, in the passage. I knew she was lying 
 in wait for me. So I just waited till she had 
 turned the corner, and then I slipped across in
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 53 
 
 here. If we issue forth together, she can't pos- 
 sibly grab me, can she ? I can say I am engaged 
 with visitors, can't I ? Now then," opening the 
 door, " will you lead the way ? I've an idea that 
 there's a glass door somewhere beyond that land- 
 ing." 
 
 " Certainly. It opens on to the terrace." 
 
 "All right. Lead on, and I'll follow. Oh, 
 Mrs. Grimm," as the stately housekeeper emerged 
 at the moment, and looked almost imploringly 
 from one to the other, as though beseeching as- 
 sistance from the familiar countenance of the 
 vicar's daughter. "You see I'm engaged just 
 now," proceeded the speaker, quickly. " Yes, I 
 know I did say I would see you this afternoon, 
 but won't to-morrow do ? I haven't been out of 
 doors yet." 
 
 "Certainly, my lady. But there's so much 
 to be talked about, Miss Rathbone," and the poor 
 anxious woman again looked wistfully into the 
 other lady's face. "I thought, perhaps, when I 
 heard you were here, you might have helped her 
 ladyship to settle some things." 
 
 " If I can be any help to Lady St. Bees," said 
 Sybella, with alacrity. 
 
 "Then let us all come out." Lady St. Bees
 
 54 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 had for the moment but one desire. " You come 
 along, too, Mrs. Grimm ; and if we can find a 
 nice place in the shade, we can all sit down, and 
 do our business. That will please everybody, 
 won't it ? " 
 
 It pleased herself ; but Mrs. Grimm curtseyed 
 with an inscrutable look, and Sybella Rathbone 
 scarely suppressed an exclamation.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 " I HEAR they go on in the most extraordinary 
 manner." 
 
 "Well, we knew they would before they 
 came. ' Set beggars on horseback ' you know 
 the proverb. You've got to call, however they 
 go on." 
 
 The speakers were Sir Thomas and Lady 
 Milner, and the personages under discussion were 
 the new Lord and Lady St. Bees. 
 
 " If only he had not married," mused the lady, 
 "it would have mattered so infinitely less. He 
 could have been taken in hand by some experi- 
 enced person, put through a couple of seasons in 
 town, and would have suited himself to his new 
 position in a very short time. But to come here 
 already saddled with a little, underbred wife." 
 
 " Aye, that's what you can't get over. And 
 you're not alone in your opinion. I fancy you 
 have half the mothers in the county with you. I 
 
 55
 
 56 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 must own it is rather rough luck on you all to 
 have a fellow not yet four-and-twenty come down 
 upon us as the new Lord St. Bees, and a full- 
 fledged married man to boot. Such a catastrophe 
 ought to have been prevented I'm hanged if it 
 oughtn't! Our daughters ought to have been 
 given a chance, eh, Emily ? " 
 
 The speaker wound up with a sardonic laugh. 
 
 " You know very well, Sir Thomas, it was not 
 that I was thinking of. You always will persist 
 in imagining that I am on the look-out to marry 
 my daughters." 
 
 " Yery naturally, my dear. There are seven 
 of them, and what the deuce is to become of 
 them all if they are not married ? " 
 
 " There is no need for you or me to consider 
 that, Sir Thomas. "We were talking of the new 
 Lord and Lady St. Bees " 
 
 "And talk of the you-know-who," said Sir 
 Thomas, nodding, " here he comes. Here's Dolly 
 Feveril coming up the back way ! I should know 
 him anywhere, though I haven't seen him since 
 he was a long-legged, long-necked lad, with ap- 
 parently about as much chance of coming into the 
 title as I myself! What brings Dolly here, I 
 wonder?" eyeing his visitor from the window.
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 57 
 
 " I suppose it is me lie has come to see. Some 
 county business, I'll be bound. I'll go down and 
 bring him in," leaving the room. 
 
 The speaker was right. County business it 
 was. And at the end of the interview Sir 
 Thomas Milner's feelings were not unlike those 
 of Miss Rathbone after a somewhat similar ex- 
 perience under the trees at Redditch Castle. 
 
 "He not only knows nothing but wishes to 
 know nothing. Tried to shunt the whole work 
 on to my shoulders. Would be 'so glad if I 
 would undertake it.' Says, honestly enough, that 
 he's as ignorant as the new-born babe, and that 
 people will only laugh at him, if he attempts to 
 give an opinion. He's in the right there. The 
 odds are he'll get laughed at whether he gives an 
 opinion or not; but he can't foist his responsi- 
 bility on to other men's shoulders as he seems to 
 think." And the old country gentleman shook 
 his head emphatically. 
 
 " And I hear that she is trying to do exactly 
 the same," Lady Milner struck in, eagerly. 
 "Wants her housekeeper to manage the house- 
 hold, and Miss Rathbone to manage the parish, 
 and she herself to do nothing but run about the 
 flower-garden, or feed the deer in the park ! Miss
 
 58 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 Rathbone suggested that she should pay a visit to 
 the almshouses one day, but she said it was too 
 hot. And they asked her to give away the prizes 
 at the rose competition at Flavell next week, but 
 she said it was too far. "What kind of a person 
 can she be, Sir Thomas ? " 
 
 "Why don't you go over and find out for 
 yourself ? You have been six days at home, and 
 St. Bees and his wife have been six weeks at the 
 Castle. You have picked up enough gossip about 
 them to make you inquisitive, but apparently not 
 enough to make you civil. Why don't you go 
 this afternoon ? " 
 
 It ended in her agreeing to go that afternoon. 
 
 And it proved to be rather an unfortunate 
 afternoon for so solemn an event to happen upon, 
 although perhaps none of those most concerned 
 had any idea of its being so. 
 
 Lady Milner presumed that she saw her young 
 hostess in her normal state, that the presence of a 
 third person, and that other a girl visitor of May's 
 own age, in no wise affected the situation ; May 
 herself considered Georgina Macinroy rather in 
 the light of a support than otherwise during the 
 formidable half hour occupied by the visit ; whilst 
 Georgina, upon whom the seclusion of the great
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 59 
 
 place was beginning to pall after a week of May's 
 almost unbroken companionship, was well pleased 
 to have anyone from the outer world to talk to, 
 even though it were the fashionable-looking girl 
 who followed her mother into the room, and 
 whose clothes, in their elegant simplicity and ab- 
 solute freshness, made her own, which had known 
 better days, and were now being worn out where 
 it was considered they would be exposed to no 
 critical eye, seem at once too smart and too 
 shabby. 
 
 It was only Henrietta Milner who had eyes to 
 pierce below the surface. 
 
 " I wish we had come when the poor thing 
 was alone," reflected Henrietta, taking in with a 
 curious instinct which she alone of her family 
 possessed, certain subtle influences at work. " I 
 believe we are seeing her at her worst ; mamma 
 is terrifying, to begin with. Had I been free to 
 quell mamma, I could have made things easier. 
 Then, again, this poor Lady St. Bees is trying to 
 keep up her dignity before her friend, who I 
 daresay is watching her like a cat to tell the 
 people at home how she behaves and how she 
 gets on as a great lady. Miss Rathbone said she 
 was not at all shy with her, only very friendly
 
 60 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 and simple, and I do think it is rather hard on 
 them both that everybody should be on the look- 
 out for misdemeanours, and that they should be 
 tabooed at the very beginning. What if they do 
 know nothing about anything ? They can't help 
 it. It's not their fault, and what I say is, it's a 
 shame." 
 
 Meantime she did her best with Miss Georgina 
 Macinroy. 
 
 "Yes, indeed, it's a most beautiful place," 
 asserted Georgina, for the third or fourth time. 
 " Yes, we have been driving and walking every- 
 where. The weather has been very fine. Yes, it 
 has been rather too hot." 
 
 " If only she would not begin every sentence 
 with a ' Yes,' " muttered Henrietta to herself. 
 
 Then May appealed to Georgina about some- 
 thing, and Georgina corrected her opinion, and 
 May was not sure that Georgina was right, and 
 Georgina argued it out, feeling in the heat of the 
 controversy that she was once more only dealing 
 with little May Duncan, and not with Lady St. 
 Bees in the presence of Lady St. Bees' visitors. 
 
 So that the little scene was hardly edif ying ; 
 and that it was not felt to be so would have been 
 sufficiently apparent to any impartial bystander
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 61 
 
 who had been there to mark the compressed lips 
 of the stately dowager or the dropped eyelids of 
 her daughter. 
 
 " She is really more dreadful than I could 
 have supposed ! " The carriage had barely rolled 
 away from the door, Lady Milner had barely un- 
 furled her parasol, ere she gave vent to the above 
 exclamation. " My dear Henrietta, it is no use 
 your saying anything. I know perfectly well 
 what you are going to say. You have a mania 
 for defending everybody ; but those two girls 
 wrangling together before our very faces " 
 
 " Not ' wrangling,' mamma." 
 
 " It was nothing else. Correcting and contra- 
 dicting and all about nothing ! As if it could 
 possibly matter in the smallest degree, as if it 
 were of the very slightest consequence to any- 
 body, whether they went by one road or the 
 other, or by all the roads in the neighbourhood 
 at once. I could not make out what it was all 
 about." 
 
 Henrietta was silent. 
 
 " You could see for yourself," proceeded her 
 mother, " how absurdly ill-bred the whole scene 
 was. You might, at least, agree with me for once, 
 and own you did."
 
 62 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 " Of course it was ill-bred ; but, mamma, you 
 knew beforehand that Lady St. Bees was not 
 likely to be a particularly well-bred person. 
 You knew that she was only a simple, country 
 girl " 
 
 "So are you only 'a simple, country girl.' 
 But I hope that none of my daughters " 
 
 " She is an orphan." 
 
 " She has been brought up by somebody, I 
 suppose. Now, Henrietta, do pray not take up a 
 contrary view, on purpose to put me in the 
 wrong. No one knows better than you how a 
 young girl ought to behave. And why should 
 you try to make out that bad manners are 
 good?" 
 
 " Only because you are so hard, mamma. I 
 want you to be just a little kinder to this poor 
 girl. Mamma, you are not really an unkind per- 
 son " The mother's brow relaxed somewhat. 
 
 " You are very good to all of us you are very 
 good to the poor if anyone is sick or in trouble 
 no one will do more for them than you " 
 
 " I am glad to hear I have some good points, 
 Henrietta." 
 
 " But if a person makes some little slip in good 
 manners, or has some little surface vulgarity "
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 63 
 
 "It is true I cannot stand vulgarity," said 
 Lady Milner, complacently. 
 
 " There are so many worse things," pleaded 
 Henrietta. " I don't mean worse things than vul- 
 garity of thought and feeling though, of course, 
 there are even than of those but little ugly tricks 
 of voice and manner " 
 
 " Quite so ; ugly tricks. Just what they are. 
 Yery well expressed," interposed her mother, still 
 approving. 
 
 " Mamma, I think you and we all make too 
 much of them. If anyone speaks with a disagree- 
 able accent, or makes use of a term we are not 
 accustomed to, we set them down at once as peo- 
 ple not to be known. Even as acquaintances they 
 are not to be endured. They are beyond the 
 pale." 
 
 " But, my dear child, if one is not to be par- 
 ticular about these things, what is one to be par- 
 ticular about ? How is one to jndge of what is 
 within except from what is without? You can 
 only guess at the orange by its peel." 
 
 " Yet they may be very good people true, 
 sincere, noble-minded people." 
 
 " Of course, of course," said Lady Milner, un- 
 easily.
 
 64 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 " They may be real Christians," said Henrietta, 
 in a lower voice. 
 
 Her mother was mute. 
 
 " And we not to know* them, because they 
 pronounce an a like an o, or leave out an h! 
 Mamma, I often wonder, when we take upon our- 
 selves the vow to renounce the pomps and vani- 
 ties of this wicked world, whether we ever think 
 of this ? There seem to be so many kinds of 
 pomp and vanity." 
 
 " I am sure I never brought you up to to 
 long for for the world," stammered Lady Mil- 
 ner, in some confusion at this unwonted view of 
 the subject. " Surely, my dear child, you are 
 
 taking rather an extraordinary . Are you 
 
 sure you are not twisting the words to suit your 
 own purpose ? Not but that I am willing to be 
 rebuked even by my own daughter. And per- 
 haps it is true, as you say, that I am too fas- 
 tidious too sensitive on certain points. I con- 
 fess I do like to mix with people of my own 
 class. And from all I heard of this young 
 Lady St. Bees beforehand, I knew it would be 
 a trial to call at Redditch Castle. But tell 
 me now honestly, Henrietta, did you find any- 
 thing to like in her beyond that she had a rather
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 65 
 
 pretty, babyish face, and a not unpleasing 
 smile ? " 
 
 " I found this," said Henrietta, " that she 
 never made any pretence, and that in itself was 
 something. She never assumed any sort of 
 knowledge of her new position. She said 
 straight out that the had never seen anything, 
 nor been anywhere. And though she certainly 
 did not evince any particular desire to have her 
 ignorance enlightened, I think, mamma, you 
 know, that the very desire might be taught her." 
 
 " But that dreadful friend ! " said Lady Milner 
 ruefully. " She was much worse than the girl 
 herself. You cannot say anything for the friend, 
 Henrietta. Come now," laughing quite good- 
 huinouredly ; " come, you wise mentor, with all 
 your superiority, to your poor old mother ; don't 
 disagree with her at all points. Make what you 
 can of Lady St. Bees A sigh escaped with 
 
 the words. ("What a lady St. Bees she would 
 have been herself," mentally ejaculated the fond 
 parent, who was in reality as soft as wax in the 
 hands of the queenly creature at her side.) 
 "Make a friend of her, and mould her if you 
 can ; I shall say nothing against it." 
 
 " Promise, mamma." Henrietta bent eagerly
 
 (J6 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 forward. " Promise solemnly. I am to invite her 
 over ? I am to be allowed to go there ? I am to 
 get to know her, as girls know each other ? You 
 will give me a free hand? And not raise ob- 
 jections, and put obstacles in the way ? " 
 
 " Why, Henrietta, you are quite excited ! " 
 
 " I feel excited. It is as if I were suddenly 
 about to undertake a new great work. And I do 
 so want some real honest work to do in the 
 world. It is dreadfully conceited of me, I know, 
 but something tells me that here is the very ob- 
 ject in life I have been longing for. If only this 
 girl this young Lady St. Bees will see it too ! I 
 am three-and-twenty, and she is only twenty; 
 there are three whole years between us. There 
 might be thirty, I feel so much, much older." 
 
 " Come, come ; that is nonsensical. If you 
 are going to begin to talk like that I shall have to 
 withdraw my sanction. Thirty years older, in- 
 deed." 
 
 " Oh, don't be afraid," said Henrietta cheer- 
 fully. " I shan't say so to her. And, mamma, 
 as you have been so good I shall give you a vol- 
 untary promise. I shall be upon honour when- 
 ever I am with her to uphold the trivialities " 
 
 "My dear child!"
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. Qf 
 
 " The tittle things that you think so much of. 
 Come, mamma, you know what I mean. We are 
 quite of one mind about the great things. But 
 when I am with May St. Bees when I am con- 
 ducting her education" laughing merrily "I 
 shall stretch my conscience as far as ever it will 
 go to insist upon the vast importance of not wag- 
 ging the foot when sitting talking with visitors, 
 for instance." 
 
 "And not taking the initiative in conversa- 
 tion," cried Lady Milner, entering into the spirit 
 of the idea. "It was not for her to introduce 
 every new topic of conversation. A girl of 
 twenty to an old woman like me ! And did you 
 hear how she began before I had even opened my 
 lips, with her : ' So good of you to come and see 
 me ! So glad I was at home ! ' Can you wonder, 
 Henrietta, that I perceived at once the sort of 
 girl she was ? " 
 
 " Mamma mamma ! At it again ? " 
 
 "Well, well, my dear," Lady Milner pulled 
 her shawl over her shoulders with a little restive 
 movement ; " but, Henrietta, at least I must say 
 one thing. The friend was ( common.' I could 
 not be mistaken in her. It was not only her 
 voice and manner, it was her laugh. And though
 
 68 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 I did not have much of her, I own, I could see by 
 your face " 
 
 " Oh, I give up the friend," said Henrietta, 
 laughing. 
 
 In her heart she had given up the friend long 
 before.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 " I SEE you've had some visitors. I saw the 
 carriage driving off." Dolly looked at his wife 
 with a pleased expression. More than once 
 lately it had struck him that although he himself 
 was having a good time, and enjoying himself in 
 his own lazy fashion, he was not quite so sure 
 that May's new position suited her equally well. 
 She was not quite so merry, so jolly, as she was 
 wont to be. 
 
 For this reason he had suggested the com- 
 panionship of Georgina Macinroy, and when the 
 invitation had been readily accepted, had fancied 
 he should see sunshine restored, and hear again 
 the lively prattle which used to flow so easily 
 from the lips of May Feveril, but which had 
 somewhat flagged in those of Lady St. Bees. 
 
 And at first the remedy had answered. May 
 had been pleased to show Georgina everything ; 
 to take her about hither and thither; explore
 
 70 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 the neighbourhood afresh, and point out its 
 beauties. 
 
 That done, however, there had been a renewal 
 of the vacuum ; and, although not a man of much 
 discernment, it had dawned upon her husband 
 that something, he could not tell what, was want- 
 ing. He wondered what other people did under 
 such circumstances. 
 
 Certainly May never complained ; she had an 
 uncomplaining nature ; but when he asked her 
 at the close of each day what she had done, and 
 she made answer "Nothing," or he inquired 
 whom she had seen, and she replied, " Nobody," 
 it struck him vaguely that this was not what 
 could be called an ideal life for a young married 
 woman, whether countess or not. 
 
 Hitherto the pair had wandered round about 
 the world in a desultory haphazard fashion, 
 prompted simply by the impulse of the moment 
 in fixing upon any destination, and quitting it 
 with like ease when another prospect seemed 
 alluring. They had never remained long in one 
 place ; they had never struck their roots deep in 
 any soil ; nay, they had never even clung to its 
 surface with the slightest tenacity. 
 
 On his part it had been, " Shall we stop for
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 71 
 
 a bit at Homburg, or at Biarritz, or at some Eng- 
 lish or Scotch watering-place ? " "While on hers 
 the response had been quick and 'cheerful, " Oh! 
 yes ; a few weeks, a few months there would be 
 very nice ; and it is just the time to go." 
 
 When the temporary halting-place was reached 
 acquaintances had been easily picked up, and 
 there had been bands and promenades, and abun- 
 dance "of small dissipation for May, whilst Dolly 
 had done equally well with such sport as the 
 neighbourhood afforded and his means allowed, 
 varied by billiards on wet days and gossiping and 
 smoking at all times. 
 
 A dreary routine, the reader will perhaps 
 think ? Dreary, indeed ; trivial, aimless, profitless. 
 But we must confess the truth ; hitherto this was 
 the only notion of existence formed by our boy 
 and girl husband and wife, who had yet to open 
 their eyes to the world and its realities, and who 
 had so far been absolutely left to keep them 
 shut if they chose. 
 
 When the great transformation scene took 
 place, and the insignificant, uninteresting Dolly 
 Feveril and his wife became the Earl and 
 Countess of St. Bees, they felt, as we know, very 
 like two children transformed by the wand of a
 
 72 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 fairy godmother into a prince and princess. 
 Without the delay of an instant they betook 
 themselves to the fairy palace of their imagina- 
 tion, arriving thither one summer evening in pre- 
 cisely the same inconsequent fashion in which 
 they would have driven up to some foreign hotel, 
 where rooms had been telegraphed for during the 
 journey. 
 
 That any preparation was needed either on 
 their part, or on that of the household, or ten- 
 antry at Redditch Castle, was the last thing to 
 have occurred to the minds of the new Lord 
 and Lady St. Bees. That it would have been well 
 to halt somewhere on the road, and make such 
 additions to their equipment as were suitable to 
 their new state was equally beyond their imagi- 
 nation. Dolly did indeed pay a hurried visit to 
 his lawyer in London going after breakfast and 
 meeting May at the station in time to catch the 
 noonday train for the north as they passed 
 through London. But, although Mr. Truby sug- 
 gested that he would be glad of another business 
 interview, and seemed altogether taken aback to 
 find that his new client saw no necessity for any- 
 thing of the kind, no change was made in the 
 programme, and the impatient young man had
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 73 
 
 stepped into his hansom, and was off again ere 
 the bewildered Truby could compose his ideas. 
 Dolly had told him airily that all should go on as 
 before, and that he could write anything he 
 wanted to the old place. 
 
 May had been equally felicitous in disposing of 
 her feminine applications. She did not really see 
 that there was anything for her to do. She had 
 been caught by old Mother Grimm, as she in- 
 formed Dolly, and afterwards forced into hearing 
 a number of fusty -musty details, which were so 
 much Greek and Latin to her ; but she had found 
 Dolly's watchword invaluable, and had hurled it 
 at the old dame's head whenever she got the 
 chance. 
 
 " You know you told me to say, ' Everything 
 is to go on as before,' " cried she, with the glee of 
 a child. " It really was masterly, that phrase of 
 yours, Dolly. It seemed to fit every emergency, 
 and to stop Mother Grimm's mouth at every turn. 
 The only thing that could not ' go on as before ' 
 was a maid for me. I couldn't be expected to 
 inherit poor Lord St. Bees' tottering old valet, 
 whom even you declined to take on, so I said, 
 ' All right,' she might find a maid for me, which 
 she is to do at once, and meantime one of the
 
 74 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 housemaids such a nice girl, called Mary not at 
 all * fine,' no more * fine ' than I am myself has 
 taken possession of me and my clothes." 
 
 This interview with the stately housekeeper, 
 who had been in the St. Bees' family during two 
 generations, seemed in the eyes of her new mis- 
 tress to dispose of all her obligations towards the 
 remainder of the household. 
 
 " I don't like worries," she confessed, frankly. 
 " And what's the use of being a great lady, and 
 having plenty of money, and all the rest of it, if 
 I am to be bothered just like everybody else ? 
 You see, Miss Eathbone," for this confidence was 
 made to the vicar's daughter, " Dolly and I agreed 
 to have no house when we married, but just to go 
 about and enjoy ourselves. And it really was a 
 good thing we did, wasn't it, as we hadn't any- 
 thing to get rid of, nor to fuss about, when we 
 came in for this beautiful place, and he became 
 head of the family. I daresay we shall never stop 
 here very long " 
 
 Miss Rathbone uttered an exclamation. 
 
 " At least I don't suppose we shall ; we never 
 do stop long anywhere. But, then, I don't know 
 anything. Sometimes," she paused, and added 
 wistfully, " sometimes I almost wish I knew a
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. . 75 
 
 little more. I am not quite a child now, but people 
 always treat me as if I were." 
 
 And then, just as Miss Sybella had raised her 
 head with renewed animation, and was about to 
 respond joyfully, the conference came to an end 
 by a donkey, which was drawing the mowing 
 machine over the lawn in front, beginning to 
 hee-haw, and May rushing off to pat its 
 neck, and pull its ears. Afterwards Miss Rath- 
 bone never found Lady St. Bees in the same 
 mood. 
 
 Dolly, however, had more than once found his 
 wife looking silently from a window of late, and 
 was not altogether sure that the panacea provided 
 by him in the companionship of her early friend, 
 Georgina Macinroy, had met the case. Was it 
 possible that May was moping ? He was very 
 fond of his May, and had rejoiced for her sake 
 still more than for his own when fortune smiled. 
 He did not like to see her hanging about the big 
 rooms disconsolately ; or gazing up at the long 
 rows of book-cases with blank, bewildered eyes ; 
 or sitting still, with her arms hanging listlessly 
 over the side of a great solemn chair in corridor 
 or ante-chamber. 
 
 " Can't you find something to amuse yourself
 
 76 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 with ? " he would say half -pettishly. But it was 
 really pity which made him pettish. 
 
 " Why don't you go for a drive ? " he would 
 suggest sometimes. But May did not care for 
 
 so 
 
 driving when, as she would allege, there was 
 nothing to drive to. The neighbourhood was but 
 sparsely populated, and the two or three families 
 who would have been on visiting terms at the 
 Castle were not in residence when the new Lord 
 and Lady St. Bees took possession of their estates. 
 
 In consequence, after the first excitement had 
 evaporated, and the novelty of the situation be- 
 gun to wear off, one day flowed on very like an- 
 other, and it must be owned that the evenings 
 often found the pair yawning in each other's 
 faces. 
 
 To shirk trouble of every kind, to evade every 
 disagreeable, and to seek emancipation from every 
 responsibility does not somehow answer in the 
 long run, even with the most easy, pleasure-loving 
 youth and maiden; and while people all round 
 were saying hard things of the young couple, 
 while at the same tune picturing them rollicking 
 at ease in the midst of their new-born grandeur, 
 Dolly and his wife were, in truth, f eeling less and 
 less inclined to rollick every hour, and although
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 77 
 
 neither would have owned it for the world, 
 secretly hankering after the old days of freedom 
 and fun, when nobody cared what they did or 
 whither they went; when a few portmanteaux 
 enclosed the extent of their worldly possessions, 
 and when they could hail an 1 acquaintance from 
 any window of the two rooms which comprised 
 their sole foothold in life for the tune being. 
 
 " Why don't you have more people down ? " 
 Miss Macinroy had suggested on the fourth day 
 after her arrival. " You should fill the rooms and 
 have house parties like other great folks," and as 
 she spoke her fingers itched to send out the in- 
 vitations. 
 
 May looked at her husband. . 
 
 "Oh, bother house parties," said he, rather 
 shortly. " Besides," he added after a pause, " this 
 isn't the time for them. No one goes to country- 
 houses till the shooting begins. Not to houses of 
 this sort," perceiving a disclaimer about to issue 
 from Georgina's lips. " It's all very well to ask 
 your friends to potty little places that is, I 
 mean," as the mounting colour on her cheek be- 
 trayed his rudeness, " I mean, of course, that in 
 smaller neighbourhoods where there are a lot of 
 
 little houses, and no one thinks of doing tilings hi 
 6
 
 78 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 style Oh, bother it ! Miss Macinroy, I am mak- 
 ing a fool of myself, but yon know what I mean 
 May and I have got to live np to what we are 
 now. I know enough the ways of our sort not to 
 run counter to them. I can't ask men the men 
 who ought to be asked here, till I have something 
 to ask them to." 
 
 " Besides, do we know any ? " suggested May, 
 doubtfully. "We have met heaps of people of 
 course, going about as we have done from place 
 to place ; but, Dolly, I don't think we ever knew 
 where any of them lived, did we? When we 
 said ' Good-bye ' we just shook hands and hoped 
 to meet again some tune or other. And we very 
 seldom did meet again ; though, to be sure, there 
 were some I was very sorry to part from," con- 
 tinued she, musing, "the Grabhams, for in- 
 stance." 
 
 " The Grabhams ! Oh, we couldn't ask them 
 here," said Dolly, hastily. 
 
 " And there was that nice Mrs. Scott and her 
 son." 
 
 " Nice enough, but she was only a homely old 
 Scotch body." 
 
 " None the worse for being Scotch, I hope," 
 interposed Georgina, with a short, sharp, con-
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 79 
 
 ceited accent. Georgina was still somewhat in- 
 clined to bridle, and conscious of an irrepressible 
 desire to put in a remark with a sting. " That 
 would be rather hard on us, would it not, May, 
 dear ? We are only Scotch bodies ourselves, are 
 we not ? " 
 
 Dolly had turned to the sideboard, and, un- 
 perceived, his brows knitted in a frown. 
 
 " I wish I had not thought of getting her," he 
 muttered, internally. " She seemed well enough 
 down there, but she's out of place here, and al- 
 most makes May seem out of place too," and he 
 would not deign any response to the young lady's 
 sprightliness. 
 
 " I daresay, Dolly, when we have lived here a 
 little longer, everything will be different." Lady 
 St. Bees looked a little anxiously towards the 
 figure diligently carving cold beef with back 
 turned to the table. " We are going to be very 
 happy here, and I ought to be very proud and 
 pleased that you have become a great man, and 
 that all of these," looking up at the pictures on 
 the ,wall, " were your grandfathers and grand- 
 mothers. You belong to the old family, Dolly, 
 even if I don't, so you must teach me how 
 to behave."
 
 80 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 " Be hanged if I know myself ! " Dolly, with 
 recovered good humour and a full plate, returned 
 to his seat. "But we'll worry along somehow, 
 and in a year or two I dare say no one will know 
 we haven't been at it all our lives. Only we 
 must take our time," added he sagaciously. " It 
 never does to ' rush ' anything. So, Miss Georg- 
 ina, I am afraid the house parties must wait, 
 and you may be content with each other for the 
 present. Don't you trouble your little head," 
 nodding kindly to his wife, " and don't let them 
 sit upon you in the servants' hall. I mean, don't 
 let Mrs. Grimm and Bullock and the rest of them 
 have it all their own way. Give 'em the slip 
 when they come after you to pester you, if 
 you don't care to show fight. That's how I do 
 with Soames " (Soames was the farm steward) 
 " Soames thought he was going to have two regu- 
 lar mornings in the week, shut up with me in the 
 library ! Two whole blessed mornings ! I simply 
 laughed at the idea ! I told him I never stayed 
 in the house on a fine morning. Then he asked 
 me to appoint some other time. I said, ' Oh, any 
 time.' The consequence is I can always contrive 
 to dock him short, long before he has got out half 
 his say and he's so beastly long winded I have
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 81 
 
 even yet no notion what length his say might 
 extend to by finding I must absolutely go to 
 dress for dinner, or to write some letters in time 
 for the post. Soames shan't pin me down more 
 than I am going to be pinned, I can tell him." 
 
 " Miss Eathbone has been rather trying to pin. 
 me down," said May. " She wanted to walk me 
 off all along that hot, dusty lane to the schools 
 this morning, and this is the second time she has 
 made the attempt. I said I really couldn't go; 
 that I hadn't the courage. However, she worked 
 upon me to promise I would venture under her 
 wing one of these days. I made rather a stand, 
 because she had already hinted about the Ahns- 
 houses, and the Cottage Hospital, and all sorts of 
 horrors. But 1 remembered what you said, 
 Dolly, and I wasn't to be done. I just smiled 
 and promised, and at last she went away." 
 
 "I think you might go and see my father's 
 old nurse," said Dolly after a minute, "old 
 Hannah. She's still alive ; about ninety, I be- 
 lieve, but as lively as a cricket, they tell me. 
 'You might say I'll call myself one of these days. 
 I used to be taken to see Hannah when I was a 
 boy. She has an awfully jolly little cottage down 
 in the hollow beyond the fish-ponds. It's a
 
 82 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 goodish walk, but you can go through the woods 
 the whole way " 
 
 " Oh, Dolly, not to-dwj!'' 
 
 " Not to-day, unless you like. Any day will 
 do," said Dolly, easily. "Only I daresay the 
 poor old soul will be expecting it. She used to 
 have the queerest little china cows and sheep 
 upon her mantelpiece. I remember them per- 
 fectly. Curly white sheep under green trees. 
 And there was an old copper warming-pan. 
 And a worked picture in a frame. I remember 
 it all. I must really go and see old Hannah, and 
 see if she has still got that picture, and those 
 sheep and cows." 
 
 " But we needn't go," whispered Georgina, as 
 they rose from table. " If he goes the old woman 
 will like it ever so much better. She won't care 
 for us ; we are interlopers." 
 
 And even May had felt that her old friend 
 was wanting in tact.
 
 CHAPTEK VII. 
 
 THEEE or four more days brought this feeling 
 to a head. Georgina would suggest, and surmise, 
 and continually remind May of former times, not 
 in an altogether pleasant manner. She fancied 
 her role was to be that of confidential adviser and 
 bosom friend, whereas even in the days she spoke 
 of there had in reality never existed that close 
 intimacy now claimed in the retrospect. There 
 had been neighbourly intercourse, nothing more. 
 
 Indeed May could remember very well that 
 Georgina had rather looked down upon her as a 
 child, and had even treated her with but scant 
 ceremony after she had ceased to be May Dun- 
 can, and had appeared at Dalgeny House expect- 
 ing, as a young bride naturally expects, to be 
 petted, and made much of among former associ- 
 ates. 
 
 Once or twice, as we know, none of the 
 Macinroy ladies had taken the trouble to call on 
 
 83
 
 84: SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 Dolly FeveriTs wife, affecting not to know she 
 was at her aunt's, or at least only to have heard 
 by report of her being there, and to be quite sur- 
 prised when she walked in through their own 
 gate. 
 
 Then it would be, " Dear me ! May, here 
 you are again. Why, it seems as if you were but 
 just gone. Your aunt will be glad to have you 
 back, I am sure. It is a great thing for her that 
 you have no home of your own." None of which 
 had been resented by the sweet-tempered May at 
 the time, nor would have been remembered now, 
 but for Georgina's present effusiveness. It was 
 that which accentuated the contrast. 
 
 " I really think I wish she would go," mur- 
 mured poor May in her own heart at last. And 
 on the very day this thought arose the Milner's 
 called. 
 
 We now come back to the point where Dolly 
 exclaimed, " I see you have had visitors," and 
 looked to hear the rest. 
 
 Georgina, to whom he had not addressed him- 
 self, was the first to reply. "Such visitors!" 
 cried she, with a toss of her head. " Such a 
 couple! A mother and daughter. The most 
 stuck-up, prim-visaged, poker-backed females you
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 85 
 
 ever beheld! Poor May and I felt regularly 
 skewered through and through by their piercing 
 eyes. The mother was bad enough; but the 
 
 daughter May, you had the best of it. 
 
 Or, at any rate, I had the worst of it ! For I 
 had to sit and make conversation with a girl 
 who " 
 
 " "WTio I should have liked very much to talk 
 to," said May, steadily. " She had a kind face, 
 and a sweet voice. And she was so very pretty, 
 Dolly. More than pretty beautiful. And she 
 had such graceful movements. And such a calm, 
 high-bred manner." 
 
 " Oh, nonsense ! What rubbish ! " interposed 
 Georgina, with a frown of vexation. " I didn't 
 admire her manner at all. It's not polite to take 
 no more interest than she did in my conversation. 
 She was always looking at May," pursued the 
 speaker, turning to May's husband. "Taking 
 stock of her, you know. She looked her up and 
 down, and round and round. I daresay she will 
 go away, and describe every single thing she had 
 on, and how her hair was done, and all the rest of 
 it. May wasn't at her best, either." 
 
 Dolly gave his wife a quick look. 
 
 " I was not feeling very well," murmured she.
 
 86 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 "And I am afraid my hair was rather rum- 
 pled, Dolly. I liad been lying on the sofa, think- 
 ing no one would come in, because no one ever 
 does come in the afternoons, and we did not 
 know anybody was in the house, until the door 
 opened and Lady and Miss Milner were an- 
 nounced." 
 
 " It was Lady and Miss Milner, was it ? They 
 are the great people of the neighbourhood next 
 to ourselves." 
 
 "And at first we were awfully glad, to see 
 them." Here Georgina struck in again, and this 
 time with renewed vivacity. " May and I were 
 sick to death of each other she was asleep, and I 
 was stodging over a book ; and we both jumped 
 to our feet, and welcomed the Milners with en- 
 thusiasm. I am sure May did her part and I did 
 mine. I heard May doing the civil most reli- 
 giously. I was quite amused at little May hauling 
 up a chair for the old lady, and thanking her for 
 coming, and pumping up subjects to talk about, 
 while I played second fiddle with the younger 
 one. I didn't get much change out of her I own, 
 but who could ? " 
 
 " Is it true what she says ? " enquired Dolly of 
 his wife as soon as they were by themselves.
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 87 
 
 " Did you feel that they were looking down upon 
 you turning up their noses at you ? " 
 
 " I don't quite know how I felt," she paused, 
 then went on slowly, "to tell the truth, Dolly, 
 Lady Milner was rather stiff. I fancy she had 
 come prepared to be stiff, and it was rather uphill 
 work trying to soften her, but if you had been 
 there, and if Georgina had not been there, I can't 
 help thinking it would have been different." 
 
 "I can understand that," Dolly nodded, not 
 ill-pleased. " You could have managed the one 
 and I could have tackled the other." 
 
 " You see Georgie is so very brusque. And 
 somehow she seemed to talk so loud, and as if 
 she were trying to be so free and easy ; while at 
 the same time I know in her heart she was 
 really cringing. Now, if you could have talked 
 to Lady Milner, I believe that I could have got 
 on very well with her daughter. We had a few 
 minutes together just before they left. "We 
 went into the other room to look at the garden, 
 and I told her how fond I was of flowers, and 
 that I had always been accustomed to look after 
 aunt's garden at home, and bud the roses, and tie 
 up the sweet peas, but that I did not like to 
 offer to do it here, because there were so many
 
 88 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 'men, and I was afraid they would stare. But 
 she said she always did it at their place, and 
 had a part of their garden left entirely to her. 
 And she suggested I should have the same. 
 Dolly, do you think I could ? " 
 
 "You can do whatever Miss Milner does. 
 And, I say, I wish you could manage to make 
 friends with her over gardening, or anything else. 
 It would be the very best thing you could do. 
 If the Milners would take you up, and put you 
 in the way of things, it would make ,a start for 
 us both. Don't you mind what G-eorgina says, 
 you return the call " 
 
 " I wish I could go without her."- 
 
 " I wish you could," Dolly reflected. " When 
 does she leave ? " 
 
 " She hasn't talked of leaving yet. You see 
 we asked her to pay a good long visit." 
 
 " I know ; it's unlucky. I used to like Georg- 
 ina well enough, and so did you. It seemed to 
 me you'd be all right if you got her here. 
 But the fact is, May, you and I are beginning 
 a new life as new people, and I don't know 
 whether it wouldn't have been as well to have 
 a blank sheet to begin upon. The whole thing 
 is so queer ana strange. It seemed awfully jolly
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 89 
 
 at first to jump from being a mere nobody, an 
 unimportant, insignificant, out-at-elbows fellow, 
 whose first piece of luck it was to meet with a 
 dear little woman ready to bestow upon him her 
 own sweet self, with enough to keep the wolf 
 from the door, to be all at once transformed 
 into a great nobleman with estates and fortune 
 to match, that I scarcely knew whether I stood 
 on my head or my heels ! I'm a silly sort of 
 chap, and no one has ever taken the pains to 
 develop such brains as I've got. But after I 
 came here and began to think about it all, it 
 has been dawning on me more and more that 
 there are two sides to the question. My side 
 was that you and I were provided for, and that 
 we should no longer need to think about what 
 we could afford, nor whether we could do this or 
 that. I thought : ' Hang it all ! we'll have a 
 glorious time ! Simply write cheques and the 
 money will roll in! And how beastly civil my 
 tailor and gun-maker will be ! Besides which, 
 we'll take a moor.' I never dared to think of 
 a moor before that night at Lucerne when I lay 
 awake with the lawyer's letter under my pillow. 
 Then I said to myself, ' By Jove ! I'll have a 
 moor, and a salmon river of my own.' It was
 
 90 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 a wonderful night," continued Dolly, musing. 
 "Do you remember how we talked and talked, 
 and planned everything. And how the storm 
 came on in the middle of it all, and you said 
 you didn't mind the storm a bit, you were so hap- 
 py ? What an age ago it seems ! And it is not 
 two months ! It was only six weeks on Friday 
 last since that first evening we drove up from the 
 station ! " Then the speaker paused, and looked 
 intently at the little drooping figure by his side. 
 " Poor little May," he murmured under his 
 breath, and laid his hand upon her head. 
 
 A large tear dropped from her eyelids as he 
 did so. 
 
 " The other side of the question, I suppose, is 
 this," continued Dolly, drawing a sigh himself. 
 " People are saying Here's a fine old title drifted 
 away into the hands of an interloper, who ought 
 by all the rules of succession never to have come 
 in for it. It has come to him by the merest acci- 
 dent, and he is no more fit to possess it " a sud- 
 den sob from her parted lips -" and knows no 
 more what to do with it rather less than if he 
 had been a ploughman born upon the lands," pur- 
 sued Dolly, bitterly. " Mr. Rathbone as good as 
 told me so yesterday. I would not vex you by
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 91 
 
 repeating what he said ; and I dare say the old 
 man was put out, and let slip more than he 
 meant that is to say, more than he meant me 
 
 V ' 
 
 to see, but not more than existed. He considers 
 it an ' unheard of misfortune,' and a ' terrible 
 humiliation ' for the race that I should have been 
 the only heir left, when the old lord died. I 
 told him as insolently as I could that he couldn't 
 expect me to see it in that light. I laughed and 
 blew off my cigar smoke, and turned on my heel 
 with what I considered quite a French air of 
 nonchalance. But all the same, I felt a furious 
 rush of shame and anger ; especially when he 
 muttered something about the whole country 
 thinking the same, and that it would be no easy 
 matter to get them to think otherwise. I 
 marched off at that, leaving him standing where 
 he was he had poked me out down by the river 
 bridge, saying he was obliged to pursue me there 
 because I was never to be found at home and 
 the last thing I saw of him he was stock still 
 on the same spot, with his great bunch of 
 papers still in his hand." 
 
 " How could he treat you so, Dolly ? " She 
 was weeping piteously now. 
 
 " I tell you it's the other side of the question.
 
 92 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 Don't you take it too much to heart. You and I 
 will think it over, and see what's to be done." 
 
 "But, Dolly, I thought Mr. Rathbone was 
 Buch a nice old man ? " 
 
 " Hum ! " said Dolly, significantly. 
 
 " To tell you it was a ' humiliation.' " 
 
 "Aye, a humiliation. He certainly did tell 
 me so, slap out. It wasn't very pleasant to hear. 
 And he hinted besides " 
 
 " Something about me," said May, raising her 
 head quickly. "I know it was about me. Oh, 
 Dolly, what ? " 
 
 " You had better know, perhaps," said Dolly, 
 reluctantly. " He made no bones about it. The 
 world's opinion is that you are no more fit for 
 your place than I am for mine." 
 
 If he expected an ejaculation he was mistaken. 
 There was, indeed, a slight flush of colour on her 
 cheek, but the lips uttered no sound. 
 
 " I believe, honestly, the old boy hardly knew 
 what he was saying," proceeded Lord St. Bees, 
 with commendable forbearance. " I had provoked 
 him, I dare say, more than I knew. He had bad- 
 gered me off and on for a fortnight about some 
 parish nuisance that he said Soames couldn't man- 
 age, and that he must explain to myself. I knew
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 93 
 
 it was no sort of use his explaining ; and I hoped 
 by putting him off when I could, and shutting 
 him up when I could no longer prevent his open- 
 ing his mouth on the subject, to wear out his pa- 
 tience, and make him give it up for altogether. 
 Then I was disgusted at being followed down to 
 the river, and nailed there, where I thought no 
 one could find me out. And I turned on him 
 sharply, and as good as sent him about his busi- 
 ness. I oughtn't to have done it that's a fact. 
 He was doing what he believed to be his duty, 
 and it couldn't have been an over agreeable one. 
 And anyway he's an old man, and ought to have 
 been treated with more respect. But, my word, 
 I got as good as I gave. And if my rudeness 
 touched him up his retort has rankled in me ever 
 since. It was that which made you complain of 
 my being so dull and out of sorts last night, May. 
 You poor little thing, I felt so enraged to hear 
 him say that you were simply playing at being 
 Lady St. Bees ! " 
 
 "Dolly!" 
 
 "Well, dear?" 
 
 " Supposing it's true, Dolly ? " 
 
 "Well!" 
 
 " Isn't there anything that can be done ? " said 
 7
 
 94 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 May, wistfully. " People as young as I, perhaps 
 even as ignorant as I, have stepped into great 
 places. And if theyhave tried to learn, and been 
 anxious to do right, even though they may not 
 have been very clever I am not at all clever, you 
 know, Dolly, but still if I did my best, and if 
 someone would help me and teach me, don't you 
 think that others have succeeded? And that 
 as they have, I might perhaps in time, succeed 
 too." 
 
 Dolly's arm dropped to his wife's waist. He 
 turned her round, drew her closer, and looked into 
 her eyes. 
 
 " That's just about what I was thinking of us 
 both," he said. 
 
 "Well, now, when is this return visit to be 
 paid ? " cried Miss Macinroy later on the same 
 evening. " It gives me a * grue ' to think of it. 
 But I suppose we will have to go." 
 
 " There is no need to think about it just yet," 
 said May, with a gknce at her husband. " Dolly 
 says country visits needn't be returned immedi- 
 ately. It is a very long drive." 
 
 " Oh, but I assure you that it is quite, a mis- 
 take. Men know nothing about such matters.
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 95 
 
 A first call ought always to be returned within a 
 few days," and Georgina, with an air of authority, 
 helped herself to coffee, for the trays were being 
 handed round, and the three were sitting in the 
 great summer drawing-room of the castle. " Lady 
 Milner will certainly expect us to drive over 
 within the next day or two," proceede4 she. And 
 unfortunately Lord St. Bees knew she was in the 
 right. 
 
 But he had made up his mind to have at least 
 a struggle for the mastery. 
 
 " All right, it may be so," said he indifferently. 
 " Then I'll tell you what we'll do, May. I'll run 
 you over in the dog-cart, and do the civil my- 
 self." 
 
 "In the dog-cart?" Miss Macinroy's eyes 
 opened to their fullest extent. " That's not the 
 proper way for ladies to make a call. We ought 
 to go " 
 
 She did not see the obstinate look come over 
 Dolly's face. 
 
 " Proper or not, it's the way I mean to take 
 my wife," said he his tone conveying, there is 
 not the slightest need for you to accompany us. 
 " I haven't driven you for an age, May," con- 
 tinued the speaker, resolutely turning his shoulder
 
 96 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 upon the visittfr, " so you must give me one after- 
 noon. And you," addressing Miss Macinroy, 
 after a momentary pause, " could make that your 
 day for shopping in Newcastle. You can have 
 the waggonette and drive to Milwell, and do the 
 rest by train. Shall we say the day after to-mor- 
 row, May ? " 
 
 And there was in Lord Bees' voice and man- 
 ner a sudden ring of new authority and decision 
 which was recognised by both his -hearers, and 
 against which neither durst raise a syllable of pro- 
 test. It cowed the one, whilst it exhilarated and 
 inspired the other.
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 "I CAN'T make out from Georgina's letter 
 whether she is enjoying herself or not," quoth 
 Mrs. Macinroy, turning over the pages of a 
 closely-filled sheet which had arrived by the 
 morning's post. " At first she was all up in the 
 air, as we know. Such a grand place, and every- 
 thing so magnificent and stately. And it was so 
 delightful to be driving about the country in a 
 great coronetted carriage with everybody bowing 
 down before them, and the gates flying open 
 wherever they went. And there were such de- 
 scriptions of the castle, and the grounds, and the 
 deer park, and the view from the terrace, and 
 altogether I felt as if I must go myself and see 
 with my own eyes little May cockered up in such 
 state. And I did pity her poor old aunt to be 
 laid up in her bed, and not able to accept May's 
 invitation when it came. For, of course, it would 
 have been still more to her than to me, poor body. 
 
 97
 
 98 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 She would have been neither to hold nor to bind. 
 And May was always very nice and affectionate 
 to her aunt Jean, one must allow that. And so 
 was that silly Dolly though, to be sure, one 
 shouldn't speak so of Lord St. Bees. I daresay 
 he'll turn over a new leaf now, and settle down 
 into as steady -going a man as anybody. But, as I 
 was saying, Georgina doesn't seem quite so well 
 pleased with her quarters as she did. She has 
 been there a fortnight, and though she meant to 
 stay a month or more, I doubt she is getting 
 homesick already." 
 
 " Let us hear what she says, mamma." 
 The letter was read aloud, and at its close the 
 trio in the breakfast-room at Dalgeny House 
 looked dubiously in each other's faces. 
 
 " As I say, I can't quite make it out," repeated 
 the mother at last. " It seems to me that there's 
 some sort of nasty little ill-feeling crept in. You 
 hear what she says of Dolly, that he's taking the 
 whip hand, and ordering both the girls about, and 
 that once or twice she has nearly had a row with 
 him. One would have thought Dolly couldn't 
 say ' Boo ' to a goose, he was so easy going but 
 Georgina ought to know better than to meddle 
 with a man once he becomes a lord."
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 99 
 
 " So Dolly is beginning to feel his feet, is 
 he ? " A nickering smile dawned on Mr. Macin- 
 roy's shrewd Scotch face as he spoke. " I just 
 wondered how long it would take the lad to do 
 that. Dolly's been longer about it than some 
 would have been. I've known a youngster shaken 
 right up into another creature within twenty-four 
 hours ! I've known one stand an inch higher in 
 his stocking-soles whilst a will was being read! 
 Dolly was a simple loon enough, but he had more 
 guts in him than people thought." 
 
 " Dear me, John, what a coarse expression ! " 
 Mrs. Macinroy bridled, reprovingly. " You might 
 keep such a word as that for your office." 
 
 "It's the only word I know that expresses 
 what I mean," quoth he, with a grin. " Give me 
 another, and I'll use it. But I'll tell you what, 
 Georgina's letter just confirms my own opinion, 
 and, what's more, your own opinion, for you had 
 the wit to see it as well as I, though you were 
 a bit behind me. What was it you said just 
 now ? " 
 
 " Oh, I don't deny that I am quite of your 
 mind," rejoined she, mollified. "But I must 
 own," referring to the letter, " that I would like 
 to hear what Georgina has to say, and not just
 
 100 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 have to guess what's in her mind by these queer 
 hints and inuendoes. Listen to this now," read- 
 ing again aloud. " ' I can't say I think his man- 
 ners are improved. He has grown dreadfully 
 blunt and overbearing, and won't let us alone to 
 do what we like. And I do think May is some- 
 times sly, though I could always manage her if 
 she hadn't him at her back.' Then, again, here 
 in another place, ' I don't think she likes my call- 
 ing him Dolly, but it would be really too ridicu- 
 lous to begin with Lord St. Bees, when he's no 
 more like a Lord St. Bees than he ever was. 
 Neither of them will ever turn into great people, 
 and with an old friend like me, it's downright 
 nonsense to assume airs.' " Then the speaker 
 laid down the letter, and looked round for an 
 opinion. 
 
 " I knew it would have been better for me to 
 go," was that delivered by her daughter. And 
 almost at the same instant, " I expect Miss 
 Georgie has been at her old trick of laying down 
 the law, and hasn't found it answer," commented 
 Georgie's father. 
 
 " I told her, when she went, to take care how 
 she behaved," said the mother, a little anxiously. 
 " I gave her a word when she was packing. Said
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 1Q1 
 
 I, ' You make yourself agreeable, and you may be 
 there long enough ; but don't go ordering about 
 as you do at home, or you may find yourself in 
 the wrong box.' " 
 
 "And that's just what she's done, you may 
 take your oath upon it. If Chatty had gone 
 now " 
 
 " I know I could have got along with them 
 well enough," Chatty, half aggrieved, half com- 
 placent, endorsed the implied approval. "I 
 should just have said 'Yes' to everything, and 
 enjoyed the fun." 
 
 " Well, there doesn't seem to have been much 
 fun ; I can't find that they've been to any jun- 
 ketings, or met any other great folks but, any- 
 how, she'll have paid her visit, and we can say 
 she has ~been there, even if she comes back to- 
 morrow." 
 
 And the factor's wife felt, as she would have 
 phrased it, that if she had not altogether "got 
 her pennyworth for her penny," at any rate some 
 return had been obtained for the expenses en- 
 tailed by Georgina's journey and outfit. The 
 latter, it is true, had obviously not come into 
 requisition. The smart dresses which had been 
 deemed necessary for Redditch Castle might be
 
 102 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 still lying with undimmed freshness in the 
 drawers of Georgina's bedroom, but they and 
 their owner had inhabited the great Northum- 
 brian castle, and whatever experiences had been 
 theirs within its walls, no one could deny that 
 solid fact. 
 
 " I say she had better not wear out her wel- 
 
 / 
 
 come," quoth the husband and father, rising at 
 length to close the conference. " I won't have a 
 daughter of mine stopping in any man's house 
 longer than she's wanted. You make an excuse 
 to have her back now," he concluded, leaving the 
 room. 
 
 " And a fortnight's as good as a month, for 
 all the say of it," Mrs. Macinroy turned to her 
 daughter. And then, after a moment's pause to 
 make sure they were alone, " To tell the truth, 
 Chatty, there were bits in the letter I couldn't 
 read out, for they would have made papa so wild. 
 See here," pointing with her finger. " ' If I hadn't 
 got that money out of papa for the dresses which 
 have never been worn, and told him I must have 
 them, as I was going to stay a month at the very 
 least, and go to all sorts of grand parties and 
 fetes, I should like to come back at once, for it is 
 so stupid and tiresome here, and I am not even
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 103 
 
 to be taken to return people's calls, as far as I can 
 see ! Yesterday, when the two went to a swell 
 place about four miles off, where they were kept 
 on for several hours, and had a really good time 
 the first thing of the kind there has been since 
 they came here I was shipped off by myself in 
 another direction !- It was awfully mean, and I 
 felt so angry I couldn't speak about it. The 
 Milner's were disgusting people, who looked 
 down on the lot of us and weren't a bit civil when 
 they called but, of course, I should have liked 
 to go to their place, as it would have been the 
 first chance I had had of going anywhere. And 
 then to be coolly packed off to shop in New- 
 castle, twenty miles off, which I had only sug- 
 gested because it was so deadly dull, never do- 
 ing anything, or seeing anybody. "Wasn't -it a 
 shame ? ' 
 
 " So, you see, it was really a Providence your 
 father suggesting she had better come home," 
 whispered Mrs. Macinroy, still cautious of being 
 overheard, " for I wouldn't have the poor girl be 
 treated like that a second time for all the world 
 and by that little rubbishy May Duncan, too." 
 
 And Georgina's recall went forth within the 
 hour.
 
 104 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 May was sitting by herself when Georgina 
 came in to make the announcement. 
 
 She was thinking happier thoughts than had 
 been hers of late. The call at Monkswood had 
 not only passed pleasantly, but been product- 
 ive of results which opened up a vista into a 
 brighter future than had seemed ever likely to 
 be within hers and Dolly's reach during the by- 
 gone dreary weeks, after the first gloss of novelty 
 had worn off everything, leaving that strange 
 sense of dissatisfaction and bewilderment behind 
 which had been felt by both alike. 
 
 To begin with, Lady Milner had been by no 
 means so formidable in her own drawing-room as 
 she had appeared at Redditch Castle, and this 
 amelioration in her demeanour had had its im- 
 mediate effect upon her young visitor. One half 
 of Lady St. Bees' assumed ease was due to real 
 timidity and desire to please, coupled with the 
 strangeness of finding herself entertaining a per- 
 sonage of such alarming importance as a great 
 county dowager. May had never in her life been 
 addressed by anyone of the kind. 
 
 Then she had been shackled by Georgina. 
 Whilst one ear was on the strain to catch the 
 somewhat low and not very clear articulation of
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 105 
 
 her companion on the sofa, the other had been 
 pierced by the incessant volubility of Miss Macin- 
 roy's by no means modulated tones. 
 
 The contrast had forced itself upon her. 
 
 Added to this, she had wondered what 
 Georgina was saying, and was quite sure she 
 had heard her once or twice saying something 
 which Dolly would not like. She had fidgeted 
 with her foot from an impatience she could not 
 repress, and we know how the movement had 
 been interpreted by Henrietta Milner. 
 
 Henrietta was agreeably surprised by the im- 
 provement in Lady St. Bees' demeanour on the 
 present occasion. Indeed May, if a trifle more 
 eager and demonstrative than a very correct 
 young lady might have been under similar cir- 
 cumstances, was simple and natural, and even her 
 unconventionality carried a certain charm. After 
 a time the eyes of the Milners, mother and daugh- 
 ter, had met and exchanged a telegraphic com- 
 munication. 
 
 "My daughter tells me you are fond of 
 flowers," Lady Milner had observed, graciously. 
 " She would like to show you our garden. Lord 
 St. Bees, pray allow your horses to be put up, 
 and let us all adjourn to the garden. Although
 
 106 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 my husband is unfortunately out, one of my sons 
 arrived last night, and he is usually to be found 
 somewhere about the stables or kennels." 
 
 " Let me go and hunt him out," Dolly rose, 
 well pleased, to his feet. " And I can tell them 
 to send round the carriage for a bit, thank you. 
 May will be glad, I know," turning a bright, 
 open smile upon her ; " and and it is very kind 
 of you." 
 
 /' They can put you on the way." His hostess 
 divined his feelings, and the relief it would be to 
 escape from her august presence. " And, Henri- 
 etta, my dear," turning to her daughter, " I will 
 desire the servants to have tea under the elms, 
 and meet you in an hour's time." 
 
 Looking back upon that hour afterwards, May 
 was quite sure she had enjoyed herself. Dolly 
 had parted from the other two almost immedi- 
 ately, ready, it seemed, to play into their hands 
 and leave them together ; and no sooner was she 
 alone with her new friend for already she was 
 beginning to look on Henrietta as her new friend 
 than by some curious, intangible process she 
 was constrained to lay bare all the hidden dissatis- 
 faction of her soul all the perplexity, and the 
 disappointment, and the vague, dim yearnings
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 107 
 
 that were beginning to stir her to the very 
 depths. Hers was a guileless nature which had 
 nothing to conceal, and confession came easy, 
 once there was anything to confess. 
 
 " It isn't as if I know anything about any- 
 thing" she owned truthfully, "and Dolly can't 
 teach me, for he knows nothing himself. ~No one 
 has ever taken any pains with either of us. Don't 
 you think they might have taken some pains with 
 Dolly ? Even though he never expected to be any- 
 one in particular, still he had to be a man, and a man 
 ought to be taught. But I hope you don't think 
 I am complaining of him ? " she broke off hastily. 
 " Dolly is the best and kindest, and dearest hus- 
 band, and we are as fond of each other as ever we 
 can be ; but when I ask him what I am to do 
 about things he shakes his head, and says he 
 wishes he could help me, but he can't. "When he 
 heard you and your mother had been over to call 
 he was so pleased. For he thought I thought 
 we both thought that perhaps if you would be our 
 friends and not be angry with us because we 
 can't begin all at once to go on as others do who 
 have lived all their lives in places like ours, and 
 take interest in the people, and know all about 
 them, as Mr. Kathbone seems to expect, we should
 
 108 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 we should be so very glad. Just to get into it, 
 you know. And though I daresay we shall never 
 be a very good Lord and Lady St. Bees 
 
 " I don't see why you shouldn't," said Henri- 
 etta, filling the pause, with a smile. " It seems to 
 me that you are making a very good begin- 
 ning." 
 
 "Ought we not to have begun before 
 now ? " May gathered courage and proceed- 
 ed. "We have made such a bad impression 
 already " 
 
 " An impression that is only a few weeks' deep 
 can very soon be obliterated." 
 
 "Mr. Kathbone was so angry with Dolly a 
 few days ago," proceeded the young wife con- 
 fidentially. "Dolly says he had provoked him, 
 but even if he had I 'think it was too bad of Mr. 
 Eathbone to fire up as he did. Let me tell you 
 what he said." 
 
 "Do you think you had better?" hinted 
 Henrietta. "Sometimes these things are not 
 meant to be repeated." 
 
 " But if I don't repeat it, how are we to know 
 if it is the truth or not ? Besides, I don't believe 
 Mr. Rathbone would mind, I daresay he has told 
 other people. Oh, I am sure he has," catching
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 1Q9 
 
 sight of her friend's face. " He has told you, and 
 boasted of it. I think he is a dreadful old man ! 
 And I don't believe a word of it ! At least oh, 
 Miss Milner, do let me have it out, and hear what 
 you think." And scarcely waiting for permis- 
 sion, the impulsive creature poured forth the 
 scene, interspersed by her own comments and 
 ejaculations. 
 
 " Dolly would not tell me for a whole day and 
 night," she wound up in conclusion. 
 
 " I suppose he was afraid your feelings would 
 be wounded. But I think he was quite right to 
 tell you at last. He wanted your sympathy, 
 didn't he ? " 
 
 " It was something I said that began it," mur- 
 mured May, her eyes filling at the recollection. 
 " Until lately Dolly and I never had a thing we 
 didn't tell each other. But I could scarcely bear 
 to own to myself how disappointed I was in it all. 
 And how much happier I used to be going about 
 with Dolly from place to place with only our 
 little portmanteau and hat-boxes, and no servants, 
 and no worries except sometimes, when we had 
 rather more bills than we could pay but then 
 they always came right in the long run, and we 
 never really minded if we had to go without
 
 HO SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 things, we could always find something else we 
 liked just as well." 
 
 Henrietta smiled ; it was such a very child-like 
 confession. 
 
 " I can't tell you how nice it was," continued 
 the youthful speaker with increasing animation. 
 " We used to live in the open air, Dolly and I ; 
 and we were never tied down to hours, and meals, 
 and tiresome things of that kind. Then we got 
 to know all sorts of queer, outlandish places; 
 little villages far, far away from the beaten track ; 
 and funny, nice people who talked a language of 
 their own, and were so kind and hospitable to us. 
 And when we grew tired of any one place, or the 
 weather changed, or the sport was bad, we just 
 packed up our traps, and moved on. We were 
 sure to find it just as jolly somewhere else. And 
 in between we went home for a bit it isn't really 
 'home,' because I have only an old aunt there, 
 and she only took me because my parents were 
 dead, and I had no other relation, but still it's all 
 the ' home ' I ever knew. Dolly has no relations 
 at all ; so he called it ' going home,' too. Oh, 
 dear, it was just like one long holiday," and she 
 sighed. 
 
 " One long holiday." Henrietta repeated the
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 words with significant emphasis. Then she took 
 the little hand which lay on the lap beside 
 her. 
 
 " But, dear, life is not meant to be only a holi- 
 day. It is time to wake up now," she said.
 
 CHAPTEK IX. 
 
 " No no, Rathbone ; you're too hard upon 
 him." 
 
 Sir Thomas Milner was walking along a 
 country road, in company with the vicar of 
 Kedditch. " You were prepared to be down 
 upon Dolly Feveril before ever he came near 
 the place," continued the speaker. " The truth 
 is, you never could endure that branch of the 
 family, and though I was very much of your 
 opinion concerning the boy's father, who was as 
 arrant a ' loafer ' as ever lived and a very doubt- 
 ful character to boot still, I don't see that the 
 sins of the fathers ought to be visited upon the 
 children in a case like this. Adolphus Feveril 
 lies in the churchyard, and you and I are not 
 called upon to judge him. Let his son have 
 fair play at our hands. Let him start with a 
 
 112
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. H3 
 
 clean sheet of paper, and inscribe his own mark 
 upon it." 
 
 " A precious mark it will be, Sir Thomas ! 
 It is all very well for you to say you have had 
 ' no opportunity of forming an opinion.' I have. 
 He has been living within half a mile of my own 
 door for the past two months, and if I do not 
 meet him every day of my life, at least I know 
 what he is about, and hear what others say, and 
 what report they bring." 
 
 " Others say what you tell 'em," said Sir 
 Thomas, sententiously, " The tongues that wag 
 in Eedditch parish all give music to the same 
 tune, and the parson sets the key-note." 
 
 The parson reddened. 
 
 " Don't you suppose," proceeded Sir Thomas, 
 " that if you had been seen arm-in-arm with the 
 new Lord St. Bees in and out of church and 
 schoolhouse 
 
 " Lord bless me ! Sir Thomas, schoolhouse ? 
 He won't go near the schoolhouse ! He " 
 
 " If you had smoked a pipe witn him on the 
 terrace, as I have seen you smoking many a 
 pipe there in old days " 
 
 A groan escaped his companion. 
 
 " If you had strolled along the river bank
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 when he was fishing and helped him to basket 
 his fish carried them yourself, maybe, and 
 helped to eat them afterwards at a cosy little 
 dinner in the round dining-room that faces the 
 setting sun I think you know the room, vicar ? 
 And the dinner-hour, and the glass of red wine 
 that comes on with the grapes at dessert ? " 
 
 " I have never set foot in it since the late 
 lord died ! " exclaimed the vicar, in a thick, 
 choking voice. " I vowed I never would, and I 
 shall keep my vow. These interlopers " 
 
 " That's it ; you look upon them as * inter- 
 lopers,' as grasping intruders, if not as down- 
 right thieVes. Now, my good friend, put your- 
 self in Lord St. Bees' place " 
 
 "It makes me sick even to hear him called 
 ' Lord St. Bees,' " broke in Mr. Kathbone. " It 
 is ' Lord St. Bees ' here and ' Lord St. Bees ' 
 there and I protest I don't know sometimes 
 whom they mean, or whom they are talking 
 about." 
 
 "Yet, if Cyril had succeeded, you would 
 have accommodated yourself to the natural 
 course of events. You " 
 
 " If Cyril had succeeded, it would have 
 been as you justly observed, Sir Thomas, in * the
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 natural course of events.' This is an unnatural 
 course ; a deviation from the path of Nature ; 
 
 5) 
 
 " A fiat of Almighty God." 
 
 Sir Thomas removed, with reverent hand, his 
 grey wideawake as he spoke. 
 
 " Harkee, Parson Rathbone, is not that how 
 you and I, two Christian men, ought to look 
 upon it ? I don't presume to say I do, mind 
 you. I was as wild as 'anybody when first I 
 heard how things had gone, and that we were 
 all to be at the mercy of a trumpery youngster 
 a second or third cousin and scarcely recog- 
 nised at that ! But my girl, Henrietta, she was 
 the first to give - me a rap over the knuckles, 
 and it is pretty much what she said to me that 
 I am saying second-hand to you. She put it so : 
 ' Bless my soul, father ! ' (that's me, of course ; 
 but you'll understand, Rathbone). ' "What right 
 have you to rail against Providence ? Cyril 
 didn't die to please himself. Neither did his 
 father. Nor, for that matter, did poor Tom, 
 the nephew, who might had his chance as well 
 as another. And how can you blame this poor 
 tomfool of a Dolly, for stepping into a position 
 no one could keep him out of ? It was not even
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 his to take or to leave. He is the rightful 
 Lord St. Bees, and there are no two words 
 about it." 
 
 " Then he ought to be a better one." The 
 vicar, who had undeniably lost a point, shifted his 
 ground. " We can't prevent his making good his 
 claim " 
 
 "Chut-chut! There was no question of a 
 'claim.' He succeeded in straight succession, 
 though he was somewhat distant from the main 
 stem. Now he has become a peer of the realm, 
 and it behoves all who have to do with him to see 
 that he turns into a worthy and honourable one." 
 
 The vicar shook his head. 
 
 " Of peers as of poets, Sir Thomas, nascitur 
 nonfit. It requires generations " 
 
 " It doesn't get 'em, then,", quoth Sir Thomas, 
 shortly. "Why, my dear sir, where are your 
 eyes ? Look about you and see who are the peers 
 of to-day? Who are the men on whose heads 
 peerages are being rained wholesale ? Who " 
 
 "I make no account whatever of them, Sir 
 Thomas." The fine old gentleman raised his chin 
 and dropped his accents loftily. "This prepos- 
 terous growth of mushroom nobility is no more 
 the real thing "
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 "Yery true very true. I agree with you 
 there ; I am with you there, as the lawyers say. 
 But, Rathbone, to return to Dolly Feveril. You 
 should remember that it is no mere handle to 
 his name, fabricated by his party, which has 
 been bestowed on him in return for so-called serv- 
 ices " 
 
 " Would it were, Sir Thomas would it 
 were ! " 
 
 " Because that you would not value, my 
 friend?" 
 
 " I should not value it a brass farthing. He 
 might have any handle to his name he chose, as 
 long as it was not " the speaker's voice thickened 
 " as long as it was any other than than the 
 Earldom of St. Bees." 
 
 Sir Thomas stood still, owning a secret thrill 
 of sympathy. Then he suddenly struck his stick 
 upon the ground with force, and a wave of reso- 
 lution sent the blood up to his face. He turned 
 and faced his companion, coming to a dead halt. 
 
 " No doubt we should have managed better, 
 had the matter been given into our hands. We 
 have the ancient honour of the family at heart, 
 and would have guarded it more carefully, it 
 seems, than Divine Omnipotence has done. But
 
 118 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 the young man has come into his own ; he is here 
 among us one of us. For God's sake, Kath- 
 bone, don't let it be cast up against you and me 
 in the day when we shall render up our accounts, 
 that we saw a brother in need, and, like the Le- 
 vite of old, passed by on the other side." 
 
 Hastily seizing the old clergyman's hand, and 
 wringing it for a moment with fervent signifi- 
 cance, the speaker turned away and was almost in- 
 stantly lost to sight behind a cluster of projecting 
 foliage. 
 
 Mute and dazed the man left behind remained 
 for a full minute standing still where he was. 
 Then he mechanically brought his limbs again 
 into motion, and musing as he walked along, his 
 head sank lower and lower upon his breast. 
 
 He felt as though some extraordinary draught 
 of new ideas had been poured into him without 
 any act of volition on his part ; nay, almost, in 
 the teeth of obstinate resistance, and the ideas did 
 not even emanate from his own respected neigh- 
 bour and contemporary, but from Sir, Thomas's 
 chit of a daughter, who, it seemed, had set herself 
 up to scold everybody round, and teach one and 
 all their duty. The impertinent minx ! 
 
 Yet he remembered that he had always liked
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. H9 
 
 Henrietta Milner thought her a fine handsome 
 girl, and an admirable specimen of what a young 
 woman of rank ought to be. He was quite aware 
 that Sir Thomas and his wife, together with all 
 the brothers and sisters of the numerous family 
 at Monkswood, worshipped at the feet of the eld- 
 est daughter of the house. And he, in common 
 with everyone else, distinctly felt that the day 
 which should take her away from the home of 
 her childhood would see its glory depart from it. 
 
 That was all very well ; but to be lectured vi- 
 cariously by this spirited martinet on the subject 
 which made his heart sore day and night was 
 quite another thing. 
 
 He had been secure of Sir Thomas's sympathy, 
 and participation in his grievance, and had deeply 
 regretted the absence of the family from the 
 neighbourhood when most in need of a confiden- 
 tial ear. Directly he had heard of the Milners' 
 return he had hurried over to Monkswood heed- 
 less of the sun overhead, and the burning discom- 
 fort of the hot, dusty lanes ; anxious only to pour 
 forth his tale and elicit the inquiries and ejacula- 
 tions it demanded. 
 
 He it was who had informed Lady Milner of 
 all the delinquencies and shortcomings detailed by
 
 120 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 her to Sir Thomas in their discussion of the young 
 couple, when the first call was under considera- 
 tion. 
 
 Lady Milner had said a great deal more, and 
 had had a great many more items to communicate 
 than our readers require to be troubled with. 
 But she had obtained them all, or nearly all, from 
 the vicar of the parish. 
 
 And Mr. Rathbone had been entirely satisfied 
 with her ladyship's almost greedy approbation of 
 the account. He had poured forth his stream, 
 and it had been drunk in with consoling avidity. 
 The two had sighed, and exclaimed in unison ; 
 and Sir Thomas, who had come in towards the 
 close of the call, hot with disgust over some fool- 
 ish remarks let fall by Dolly at random, but care- 
 fully treasured up to be repeated by an antago- 
 nistic tenant, was in the mood to believe anything 
 against the new lord of the soil. 
 
 Afterwards Sir Thomas had cooled down, and 
 his wife had found it behoved her to be guarded 
 in recounting fresh anecdotes and iniquities, espe- 
 cially as her source of information was almost 
 invariably the same. Sir Thomas began to 
 "Pish!" and "Pshaw!" when Mr. Rathbone's 
 name was mentioned ; and once had gone so far
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 as to mutter, " Confounded old gossip ! " and 
 " Arrant scandal-monger ! " under his breath. 
 
 But the vicar could not know this ; nor that 
 even his lady friend was beginning to wear out 
 her first emotions on what was to him a subject of 
 only increasing bitterness. 
 
 As Sir Thomas said, Mr. Rathbone dominated 
 his own parish as well as his own house. He was 
 respected and beloved ; but, alas ! for human na- 
 ture ! the very affection and esteem in which he 
 was held made him now the recipient of tittle- 
 tattle. Old and young saw that it pleased him 
 although he would not have owned as much for 
 worlds to hear incessantly of fresh misdemean- 
 ours at Kedditch Castle ; of new trivialities crop- 
 ping up wherein the new man took another line 
 from his predecessor. 
 
 Accordingly not only was the old gentleman 
 regaled with a thousand trifling incidents which 
 were so many pin-prickers of vexation, but as 
 many more were invented for his special benefit. 
 He kept his wounds green in this manner. 
 
 As for Miss Sybella, albeit of a milder nature, 
 which had even been disposed secretly to find 
 alleviations in the new dispensation, she might as 
 well have been a thorough-going participator in
 
 122 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 her father's feelings, for all the weight she carried 
 on the other side. Her own ideas of what a Lady 
 St. Bees ought to be, and of what she had fondly 
 hoped the new Lady St. Bees might be, had re- 
 ceived such a shock on her first visit to the castle, 
 that she had never anything but such "faint 
 praise " as is known to " damn " afterwards, either 
 for May, or for her husband. 
 
 Mr. Rathbone was therefore not only taken 
 by surprise but amazed and confounded to his 
 inmost soul, at the, to him, inexplicable attitude 
 now assumed by his old friend. And at first 
 indignation was largely mingled with astonish- 
 ment. He felt as though he had been out- 
 witted! As though there were a traitor in his 
 own camp ! 
 
 As many a good man has done before him, he 
 experienced an intense dislike of being taken to 
 task in the words of Holy Writ. To bring these 
 to bear on a case such as the present was surely 
 unseemly and irreverent. He thanked Heaven 
 his daughter was more dutiful than to thrust her 
 father's duty or what she conceived to be so 
 in his face. To talk of seeing a brother in need 
 and passing by on the other hand to compare 
 the buoyant, prosperous young Lord St. Bees to
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 123 
 
 the wounded, beggared recipient of the Samari- 
 tan's bounty in the parable of old, was simply 
 preposterous. 
 
 Lord St. Bees wanted no assistance, declined 
 to take advice. If he were getting himself into a 
 hopeless muddle, giving offence in every quarter, 
 letting his affairs drift, and showing himself gen- 
 erally an ignorant, incompetent landlord, a neg- 
 lectful master, and worthless cumberer of the 
 ground, who was to prevent it ? 
 
 He had himself parted from Dolly in a rage, 
 almost shouting at him. So great was his pas- 
 sion that he had been unable to contain himself, 
 when an opportunity for venting the same oc- 
 curred in the shape of the village apothecary, 
 who, as luck would have it, chanced to be the 
 first person to be met after the quarrel. 
 
 Mr. Wyllie was not the best possible con- 
 fidant of anyone in such a mood, and at another 
 time the worthy old parson would have recog- 
 nised this. But passion in the present case over- 
 powered his judgment, and the consequence was 
 that the tale, losing nothing in its flight, flew far 
 and wide over hill and dale. Before nightfall it 
 was confidently affirmed that Lord St. Bees had 
 been seen bolting out of the castle, and running
 
 124 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 off as fast as Ms legs could carry Mm, stopping 
 his ears with his fingers as he ran, while Parson 
 Rathbone followed, shaking his stick in one hand 
 and a bundle of parish papers in the other, the 
 while he cursed and swore at the top of his voice, 
 so that high and low, from end to end of the 
 castle walls, could hear. 
 
 Although Parson Rathbone was ignorant of 
 this improvement on his original recital, he knew 
 that he had gone so far with Dolly as to make it 
 probable that his next meeting with the young 
 nobleman would not be pleasant. He rather 
 wished now that he had had the sense to keep 
 within bounds. 
 
 Of course, what Sir Thomas Milner said was 
 nonsense. Sir Thomas was a weathercock ; turned 
 about by a wife and family hi particular, by one 
 masterful member of the same. But without 
 giving in to the Milners' view of the subject in 
 the slightest degree ha ! "Who was that leaning 
 against the stile where the wood-path joined the 
 high road? Plague of plagues! It was that 
 very Dolly who was the apple of discord in his 
 worried, baited, badgered thoughts at the mo- 
 ment ! 
 
 It was Dolly lazily lounging in the shade,
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 125 
 
 smoking his pipe, with his fishing-rod set against 
 the gate-post, and a string of shining trout on the 
 grass at his feet. 
 
 Good Heavens ! How awkward, how uncom- 
 fortable ! 
 
 There was no evading the encounter, how- 
 ever. No path diverged to right or left, except 
 that over which Lord St. Bees was mounting 
 
 guard, while to wheel straight round ? For a 
 
 moment Mr. Kathbone thought he would wheel 
 round. 
 
 But, the next, a clear, ringing voice accosted 
 his ear. 
 
 " I have been waiting for you this last half- 
 hour, Mr. Rathbone." Dolly raised his cap, and 
 stepped forward briskly. " I saw you part from 
 Sir Thomas on the bridge, and I thought you 
 would have been here long before. I want to 
 ask your pardon, sir, for being so unmannerly the 
 other day. I was out of sorts ; to tell the truth, 
 I believe I was vexed with myself, and ashamed 
 of going on as I was doing. And that made me 
 take amiss what you said all the more. But if 
 you'll overlook it, sir," holding out a frank hand, 
 " and come up to the castle to-morrow, I'll see if 
 I can't well, you know I am not much of a man
 
 126 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 of business, but anyhow, if you'll bring those 
 papers once again, I'll do my best to tackle them." 
 
 There was a confused murmur on the vicar's 
 part, but he did not withdraw the hand which the 
 other had grasped. 
 
 " It won't do for us two not to be friends," 
 proceeded Dolly, cheerfully. " You told me some 
 hard truths the other day, Mr. Rathbone, and I 
 must say I think," his brow slightly clouding, 
 "that you might have left my wife out of the 
 question. But oh, never mind, I am sure you 
 won't do it again ; and she told me to give her 
 love to Miss Sybella we always hear her called 
 * Miss Sybella ' in the village, you know and say 
 she hoped we should see her with you to-mor- 
 row. My wife and I are alone now, and I have 
 just parted from her. Oh, and I say, these 
 trout," lifting up the string, " will you carry them 
 home for dinner ? I caught them on purpose for 
 you, and they have scarcely been an hour out of 
 the pool." 
 
 "Poor old fellow! I believe the tears were 
 in his eyes, and his lips shook so he could scarcely 
 thank me," said Dolly, recounting the scene in 
 May's bedroom afterwards.
 
 CHAPTEK X. 
 
 " You know her, eli ? " 
 
 Two men were standing in the foyer of 
 Covent Garden Opera-house, and they had just 
 been remarking to each other that it was well 
 the last night of the season had come, for Lon- 
 don was growing intolerably hot, and there were 
 signs on all sides that the fray was over. 
 
 " "Why on earth didn't she put in an appear- 
 ance," proceeded the speaker, " if she is a pretty 
 woman, and fit to be seen ? " 
 
 "Knew no better," his companion yawned, 
 and stared languidly round. "Two-penny-half- 
 penny little girl. Never been in town in her life. 
 Has no notion what it's like." 
 
 " Tremendous piece of luck, wasn't it ? " 
 
 " Rather. Wish it had happened to me." 
 
 " The deuce you do ! So do most of us. The 
 confounded thing is that it has happened to so 
 many people of late. It sets one thinking about 
 
 127
 
 128 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 one's relations. There's Hal Scoberly. He talks 
 of nothing else than of being Sir Harry some day. 
 It has played Old Harry with old Hal," emitting 
 a faint chuckle at his own wit, "as I expect it 
 does with them all. Your people hadn't to wait 
 long though. By George, to think of his being 
 three or four off, and dropping in for it in less 
 than two years' time from the death of his father. 
 I have done nothing but think over my third and 
 fourth cousins ever since. The rest of the family 
 must have been a bit wild though," the speaker 
 concluded after a pause. 
 
 " You may bet on that. All the old cats of 
 the last generation, who scarcely knew of Dolly 
 Feveril's existence, and no more thought of ask- 
 ing him or his wife to their house than of asking 
 a street scavenger, are ready to tear their eyes 
 out now that she is installed a she-head of the 
 family. "With all the diamonds you know ! " 
 
 " Who is to present her ? " 
 
 The other man yawned again. 
 
 " No difficulty about that, my dear boy. She 
 can get anyone she wants, of course. It will only 
 be a case of the 'survival of the fittest.' The 
 Countess of St. Bees you know," and both laughed 
 significantly.
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 129 
 
 " You're going down there, are you ? " The 
 first speaker, a dark, thickset man, with the un- 
 mistakable air of a club lounger, let his roving 
 eyes wander round as he spoke. " I don't see 
 any people here I care about. I had meant to 
 book some invitations to-night. But apparently 
 it's rather late in the day. When do you go 
 north ? " 
 
 " Sometime. Can't say." His taller, slighter, 
 better-looking companion made a movement of 
 departure. " If the St. Bees can have me, I may 
 as well take them first on my list. But writing 
 is a bore, and I've been too busy to think about 
 it. Such a rush. Until to-night I've never had 
 a moment to think what I'm going to do next. 
 Ta-ta. There's someone I must speak to. Dare- 
 say I shall see you before I go," and he strolled 
 off. 
 
 Captain Hazard was not speaking the exact 
 truth. He was not even as near the truth or, 
 we may say, he was still further from it than 
 usual. When he quitted Major Freemantle's 
 side, he left the latter under the impression that 
 although he had never received any direct invi- 
 tation to Kedditch Castle, he could at least effect 
 an entrance there and that although there was
 
 130 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 no intimacy between him and the new Lord and 
 Lady St. Bees, he had had some acquaintanceship 
 with Dolly Feveril and his wife. 
 
 In point of fact, he had only chanced to note 
 May as a pretty girl at a small foreign watering- 
 place, where pretty girls were few ; whilst he did 
 not know her husband even by sight. 
 
 There had been a small a very small ad- 
 venture, in which May had been mixed up. She 
 had lost a train, and been stranded on the plat- 
 form of a minute railway station, at some distance 
 from her hotel, Dolly having elected to walk back 
 after a fishing excursion. He had given her her 
 ticket, told her to wait until the train came up, 
 and started off. 
 
 Then what must the heedless young thing do 
 but find it dull hanging about the small, uninter- 
 esting stopping place, and take it into her head to 
 stroll off into the woods, considering that she had 
 ample time to spare before the arrival of the 
 train. And it was the last train, and she missed 
 it, of course. 
 
 Captain Hazard, with a party of other tour- 
 ists, arrived on the scene just as this was being 
 explained to the English madame; and as they 
 were all in the same strait, and all bound for the
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 same quarters, it had been only an act of com- 
 mon humanity to offer her a seat in the waggon- 
 ette which the unfortunates had to charter, in 
 default of other means of conveyance. 
 
 The ladies of the party had looked rather 
 scornfully at poor little May. Her cotton frock 
 was rumpled, her hair was loose, and her face and 
 hands well burnt beneath the Swiss sun. 
 
 Then she had lost her gloves May usually 
 did lose her gloves and she carried a large bunch 
 of mountain flowers, drooping and somewhat dis- 
 orderly in appearance. 
 
 Altogether the effect was that of a rather 
 second-rate young woman on a honeymoon trip. 
 
 And, as she was careful to explain that she 
 had a husband who had not neglected her May 
 was always particular on this point, being proud 
 of Dolly's irreproachable faithfulness she was 
 .voted an uninteresting little bride, and Captain 
 Hazard, who pronounced her pretty, was face- 
 tiously told that he only said so because it was a 
 lie! His weakness for falsehood would actually 
 carry him to that length. 
 
 In consequence, although she was carted safely 
 home, and received by her husband with more ex- 
 pressions of relief and pleasure than Dolly would
 
 132 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 have been credited with by those who knew his 
 easy nature, she whispered to him that he need 
 not be too grateful to her deliverers. 
 
 "Just thank them, but you needn't gush" 
 murmured she, aside, as the party disembarked in 
 front of the hotel. "You can offer to pay for 
 my seat but there's nothing more to pay for." 
 And, as the two went indoors, she ran on eagerly. 
 "Not one of them was decently civil to me, 
 Dolly, except the tall man with the fair mous- 
 tache, who helped me down. He did offer to put 
 the end of his plaid over my knees when it grew 
 cold on the tops of the hills and, oh, Dolly, I 
 was cold, for I had no jacket, and the sleeves of 
 this frock have no lining ; and feel how thin they 
 are ! Yet not one of the ladies lent me a shawl, 
 or anything! And they stared and all stopped 
 talking when the man suggested the end of his 
 plaid ! I hardly liked to take it, they looked so 
 rude. And even he didn't do it nicely, but with 
 a kind of contemptuous I-suppose-I-must air. 
 And that blue woman on his other side, the one 
 who said she supposed she was to ' fork out for 
 the chay,' you heard her ? she who seemed to be 
 the chaperon of the party. I am sure she was 
 chaffing him my man about even that one
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE/ 133 
 
 little bit of kindness! For I heard him say, 
 
 l/ 7 
 
 quite distinctly, and by way of apology, 'Jolly 
 pretty girl.' " 
 
 " Confound his impudence ! " 
 
 " Anyway, he was the best of them." Natu- 
 rally, " Jolly pretty girl " sounded differently in 
 her ears, and May almost smiled as she recalled 
 the compliment, " and he did help me down, and 
 held my flowers," continued she. " But I hope I 
 shall never see any one of the set again ; for it 
 was simply awful being boxed up with them for 
 mile after mile, and everyone knowing all the rest 
 except me, and nobody speaking to me at all ! If 
 they are stopping on in this hotel, Dolly, let us be 
 off to-morrow morning." 
 
 To which proposition Dolly had assented, and 
 it had been carried into effect forthwith. 
 
 And this was the entire extent of the ac- 
 quaintance between the Countess of St. Bees and 
 the gentleman who discussed her in the foyer of 
 the opera-house. 
 
 The affair had happened within a few weeks 
 of Dolly's succession to the title ; which event 
 might have passed unnoticed by Captain Hazard 
 and his associates, had they not been a feather- 
 headed crew whose business in life was to laugh,
 
 134 -SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 and who could turn the veriest molehill of a jest 
 into a mountain. Hazard had not only spread 
 his plaid over the little tiresome bride's knee, but 
 he had offered her his hand on descending from 
 the waggonette, and even suppressing his dis- 
 gust relieved her of her cumbersome burden of 
 worthless, dying flowers, when they seemed to 
 impede her movements. He had also called the 
 little plebeian creature a "jolly pretty girl." 
 That was enough. He had had nothing but chaff 
 and sly inuendoes about his fair fellow-traveller 
 for days thereafter, and the name of " Feveril " 
 stank in his nostrils. 
 
 When, three weeks afterwards, he came upon 
 it occupying a prominent position among the 
 paragraphs of a Society paper which had fer- 
 reted out all about Dolly and May, and described 
 them, and the place in which they were con- 
 fronted by their elevation in terms of such pre- 
 cision as to make it well nigh certain they were 
 his Feverils the husband and wife about whom 
 he had been quizzed so unmercifully he was at 
 first absolutely confounded by the revelation. 
 
 But in less than an hour he had seen the 
 matter in a new light. He had turned the tables 
 on his tormentors.
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 135 
 
 By this time lie had parted from them ; all 
 having gone their several ways ; and he could be 
 tolerably confident that he would never be called 
 upon to confront them again en bloc. 
 
 Consequently he could say what he chose 
 about pretty little Mrs. Feveril, who had now be- 
 come the Countess of St. Bees. 
 
 He racked his brains to remember what May 
 was like. Was she tall or short, dark or fair ? 
 He could not for the life of him tell. She had 
 on a dirty cotton frock, with a green stain above 
 the knee ; and her hands looked so red and cold 
 without any gloves on, that he had felt obliged to 
 let her have a bit of his plaid. 
 
 He had also been disposed to pitch the gar- 
 bage they carried out into the road before the 
 waggon entered the town; it gave such a com- 
 mon, pleasure-party look to the whole carriage 
 load. But for the fact that he did not wish to 
 speak at all to the unwelcome addition to their 
 numbers, knowing that every word he said would 
 be treasured up against him, he would have 
 suggested that the bouquet was scarcely worth 
 keeping. 
 
 Had he only known ! Had he ever dreamed 
 what the future the near future the future
 
 136 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 which was actually knocking at the door had in 
 store for that little shivering girl ! How easily 
 might he have turned the whole adventure to 
 glorious account ! How gallantly might he have 
 installed the forlorn little figure in the snuggest 
 corner of the waggonette; himself carried those 
 wretched flowers as though they had been a hot- 
 house posy; and, instead of the grudging be- 
 stowal of his plaid's fag end, have proudly en- 
 veloped her entire form in its folds; or, like 
 Elizabeth's knight of old, spread it beneath her 
 feet to be trodden upon, and made sacred for 
 ever by the act ! 
 
 If he had only done all this ! 
 
 As it was, however, Captain Hazard reflected 
 complacently that he had at least done what 
 others had not. He had performed two acts of 
 politeness not too politely perhaps; but still 
 they had been wrung out of him and upon these 
 he could now trade. 
 
 He had traded upon as little before now. 
 "Worked it up, as it were, to the requisite pitch, 
 when an invitation, or an introduction, or, at the 
 least, a recognition was desirable. He was skilled 
 in the art of angling for such; and had been 
 known to get through a whole autumn season,
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 137 
 
 visiting from house to house, on the strength of 
 one card for a luncheon party. 
 
 He seldom got any regular invitations; and, 
 indeed, would hardly have known himself if these 
 had flowed in spontaneously. 
 
 But with him the stock phrase, " Mind you 
 look us up, if you are our way," was a very defi- 
 nite rock indeed to cling to. Whilst the slighter 
 " Shall we see you in the north by-and-bye ? " had 
 still its tendrils. 
 
 Had he only been lucky enough to have 
 elicited one tiny tendril from May Feveril 1 Had 
 he only been let alone to run up ever so slight a 
 flirtation with her! He would have been quite 
 willing even as it was, even knowing nothing of 
 possibilities. 
 
 But he had been hampered by the presence 
 of his very smart friends and one very smart 
 friend in particular, who would simply never 
 have spoken to him again, had he taken notice 
 to call notice of the stranger girl. Not from 
 motives of jealousy, but because it would have 
 been degrading to the Hon. Angela St. Martin if 
 her man had seen attraction in anyone out of her 
 set, and presumably out of her sphere. 
 
 Miss St. Martin had been the leader of the
 
 138 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 ring which pelted Hazard with small shafts of 
 badinage on the Feveril subject; and he was 
 rather glad now to think how absurdly his very, 
 very trifling acts of ordinary attention had been 
 magnified. He himself had even grown to think 
 that he had evinced some tiny spark of partiality 
 which had been distorted into the germ of a 
 flame, by the sprightly imaginations of his com- 
 peers. 
 
 Suppose only suppose that Lady St. Bees was 
 possessed of imagination ? One could never tell 
 what impression a good-looking fellow like him- 
 self was capable of making upon a countrified 
 damsel, unused to men of the world. The soli- 
 tary glance he had bestowed on Dolly told him 
 absolutely nothing. He had seen a dusty youth 
 in a rough suit, who had effusively claimed his 
 partner, and borne her off she chattering eager- 
 ly in his ear and neither bestowing more heed 
 upon him and his associates, than had been be- 
 stowed by them on their late charge. 
 
 The coalition had been dissolved on the spot ; 
 and looking back now upon the scene, Hazard 
 gnashed his teeth as he realised how the golden 
 moment had thus been thrown away. 
 
 He was in London, and the London season
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 139 
 
 was just beginning when the transf ormation scene 
 took place. 
 
 The little mountain adventure had occurred 
 during the month of May too early for Switzer- 
 land, of course; but, by an odd chance, it had 
 come about that the smart folks had put in a 
 short trip before commencing the toils and sweets 
 of the summer. The Swiss hotels had been fairly 
 empty ; and an acquaintanceship would have been 
 more readily made, and more likely to yield fruits 
 than if the opportunity had offered at a later 
 period. Oh, what he had lost ! 
 
 Still, there was this to be said. Lord and 
 Lady St. Bees would infallibly make their debut 
 at once on the great stage of the world. Hazard 
 told himself he must be on the look-out for them ; 
 and daily he had scanned the page of arrivals in 
 the Morning Post, and religiously he had in- 
 quired in every likely quarter if anything had 
 been heard of the new grandees. 
 
 " They're bound to come to town ; if only to 
 show themselves and make a start," cogitated he. 
 " If I could but run across her at Ascot, or Hur- 
 lingham, or Lord's ! " And in the midst of a 
 thousand distractions he kept a pertinacious eye 
 still open for May the sort of May he con-
 
 140 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 sidered his little quondam fellow-traveller would 
 have blossomed into. 
 
 "No more cotton frocks, you bet," he winked 
 to himself. " She was a knowning little shot be- 
 neath all that demure air ; and the bother of it 
 is, I daresay I should never know her if I saw 
 her now. But, to be sure, people would be 
 pointing her out, and I should get to hear of it 
 somehow. Someone would give her a box seat 
 at the coaching meets, or put her in the front at 
 the Opera." 
 
 Once or twice he had suggested, staring 
 through his glasses, " I fancy that's the new 
 Lady St. Bees up there," in order to see what 
 answer the suggestion would provoke. If his 
 companion for the moment were a man about 
 town, such an one as made it his business to 
 master knowledge of the kind, he thought he 
 might gain the information he sought by this 
 dexterous throw. 
 
 But it had never done anything for him, since 
 no one knew Lady St. Bees by sight, and it was 
 absolutely certain that she had made no public 
 appearance since her elevation. Her name was 
 not to be found chronicled in any list of guests, 
 either at Royal or noble functions.
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 And the end of the season came, and the fray 
 was over, as we have said, and nothing had been 
 heard or seen of the new peer and his wife. 
 
 " Has not even taken his seat in the House of 
 Lords, by Jove ! " quoth Hazard to himself. 
 " Biding his time. And she, I suppose, biding 
 hers. I wonder now if she can be such a little 
 fool as I thought. Or whether she has the sense 
 to wait till people have forgotten how they fluked 
 in for the title, and may suppose it came to them 
 straight ? Not that it matters not a fraction 
 now they've got it, nobody cares twopence, ex- 
 cept the old cats of the family, and she could 
 snap her fingers at them. But a little greenhorn 
 like that, fancying herself uncommonly sensible, 
 may choose to wait till she can go and make a 
 sensation at the first Drawing Room of the year, 
 and start the whole thing with a dash. Mean- 
 time she is rusticating at Redditch Castle." 
 
 He mused, and a slow cunning smile crept 
 over his face. " I don't see what's to hinder me 
 from rusticating at Redditch Castle, too." 
 
 10
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 " SUCH a very odd thing has happened, 
 Dolly ! " Dolly's little wife, all excitement, flew 
 into the dining-room late for luncheon, and ac- 
 costed the grey figure placidly munching at the 
 table. Dolly, when he himself chanced to be in 
 time, never waited for anyone else. He now 
 looked round, nodded at her, and drank off a 
 foaming tumbler. 
 
 " All right. But I'm in a hurry," he said. 
 
 " In a hurry ? But where are you going ? I 
 am sorry if you are going anywhere in particu- 
 lar " 
 
 " Can't help it, my girl." Dolly shook his 
 head with the air of a Solon. " I'm regularly 
 in for it ; threw up the sponge, and allowed my- 
 self to be caught and tamed, that day I apolo- 
 gised to old Rathbone, after our row by the 
 river. He has me now ; and he and Sir Thomas 
 Milner take it by turns to lead me by the nose. 
 
 142
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 143 
 
 If they are off duty by any chance, Soames has a 
 look in, while Truby fires a series of cannonades 
 from London." 
 
 " You poor Dolly ! But you have become 
 so good, and wise, and sensible only I am so 
 sorry you are going out this afternoon, for I 
 don't know what I shall do. I said you will be 
 at home." 
 
 " Shouldn't have said that. A wife has no 
 business to answer for her husband." 
 
 " But I thought you would have told me if 
 you had anything to do," persisted May, half 
 crying, " and you were out riding all the morn- 
 ing." 
 
 " That was because I knew I was to be 
 boxed up all the afternoon. I have to meet 
 Soames at an inn along the Plowhill Road, and 
 there we have to settle with some farmers." 
 
 " Oh, never mind never mind. But when 
 will you be back ? Will you be back for tea ? " 
 
 ''Not I. Why, my dear child, it is eight 
 miles to the Black Bull Inn ; and Soames owned 
 the meeting would take a couple of hours and 
 more. There are some new leases to be 
 signed " 
 
 " Oh, Dolly, do hear me. I don't care about
 
 144 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 the new leases. At least, I know they will be all 
 right, now that you have begun to do as Mr. 
 Rathbone thinks you should, and Sir Thomas 
 looks benignant, and Mr. Soames bustles in and 
 out of the library quite beaming and important. 
 But Dolly, you might listen to poor little me 
 sometimes, you used always to listen to me ; " 
 a plaintive note again audible, and this tune 
 accompanied by something of a pout. " I don't 
 want you to be quite swallowed up by Rathbones 
 and Soames. Couldn't you listen to me now, 
 for just one minute ! " seeing Mm preparing to 
 rise and hurry away. 
 
 " Tell me while I'm putting on my coat," 
 Dolly pulled her along with him. " It's begin- 
 ning to rain, and I shall get into my macintosh. 
 "Well, what is it ? " as she trotted by his side 
 down the long corridor which led to the great 
 entrance hall. 
 
 " You remember that tiresome adventure I 
 had in Switzerland that evening I was left be- 
 hind at the little station among the hills ? " said 
 May, speaking fast, and doing her best to hold 
 his wandering attention, which she perceived was 
 only half given to her tale. " You remember 
 that horrid set of people who rescued me, but
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 145 
 
 who didn't like me a bit, and were so rude and 
 unkind and wouldn't lend me their shawls 
 
 " I remember. Hurry up, little lass. They'd 
 lend you their shawls now, fast enough, if they 
 had the chance." And Lord St. Bees laughed, 
 looking about for his cigar case. " What an age 
 ago it seems, eh, May ? But I remember your 
 folks very well. A beastly looking lot they 
 were ! And you had had a rough time with 
 them. I could see by your face. Is that the 
 dogcart ? " to a footman. " Tell James to put in 
 the little black bag on the library table." Then 
 turning again to his impatient little spouse. 
 " Poor little thing, it can't get out its story," 
 said Dolly, laying his cheek on hers for a mo- 
 ment, " but I'll hear it all to-night " 
 
 " But, Dolly Dolly, do listen," and two little 
 hands firmly clutched the lapels of Dolly's coat. 
 " What am I to do with him when he comes, and 
 you aren't here ? " 
 
 " Him ? What him ? " 
 
 "Why the man," said May, letting go her 
 hold, and laughing almost tearfully, "the man 
 with the moustache. Don't you remember the 
 one man of them all, who " 
 
 " That's it, is it ? He has turned up, has he ?
 
 146 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 "Well, do the civil by him, as he did by you. The 
 tables are turned now, by Jove ! I can't wait, 
 you see ; but if you mean that that fellow is visit- 
 ing in this neighbourhood " 
 
 " He was in our own grounds this morning ! 
 I met him there. It was so very strange ! It was 
 the most extraordinary thing! We knew each 
 other in a moment ; and we had to talk " 
 
 " Of course you had. And asked him up to 
 the house, I hope ? " 
 
 "And I said you would be in at teatime." 
 May looking relieved, followed him to the door. 
 " I -am glad I was right to do it, Dolly. But I 
 wish you could have been in." 
 
 " It will do just as well if you are. Any man 
 would rather talk to a woman than to another 
 man. And if he's stopping on in the neighbour- 
 hood, I can look him up." 
 
 " May I say you will ? " 
 
 "But don't stick me down to a day, or an 
 hour, mind. Say I am most awfully busy," and 
 Dolly mounted the dogcart. " Keep him till I 
 return, if you can," he shouted as he drove away, 
 leaving his wife her own, smiling, contented little 
 self again. 
 
 Lady St. Bees had at first been more than
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 147 
 
 pleased with the ardour evinced by her husband 
 in his new pursuits. With the eagerness of youth, 
 no sooner had both alike become convinced of the 
 necessity for a fresh course of action than they 
 had set about the work of reform, and had exhib- 
 ited such energy, tempered by docility and humil- 
 ity, as had won the hearts of all. 
 
 But by-and-by May had begun to feel a shade 
 less satisfied with the new regime. Her affairs 
 were more easily set to rights than Dolly's, and did 
 not lead her so far a-field. He could accompany 
 her, and did, on many of her missions ; and could 
 she have gone with him on his, and dispatched his 
 business as lightly as her own, she would have 
 been serenely content. But she saw Dolly being 
 taken out of her hands, and felt that where he 
 went, there she could not follow. 
 
 His correspondence was gradually assuming a 
 magnitude which startled her ; and the Dolly who 
 of old used to eye his few letters with aversion, 
 and toss them over to her to be sifted before he 
 would glance at them at all, now put her aside 
 with a superior air if her fingers strayed too near 
 the pile. 
 
 " You would not understand what it meant. 
 "Women are no hands at business," were frequent
 
 148 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 phrases in his mouth. And although uttered with 
 no unkindly intonation, they served their end. 
 
 And then, again, Dolly in his new role of land- 
 lord and country gentleman was often absent from 
 one meal to another, and had nothing to relate 
 when he came home nothing at least which could 
 be made interesting to his auditor. She tried to 
 think that she was glad it should be so proud 
 and glad that this new sense of his responsibilities 
 and duties had been kindled within her husband's 
 breast. Was it not a great thing that Dolly had 
 been so impressed ? And did it not show what a 
 man Dolly really was that the moment he was 
 aroused from his apathy, he lost no time in acting 
 upon his convictions ? 
 
 But all the time the young wife felt al- 
 though she would not have owned it to any 
 mortal being, and would scarcely even whisper it 
 to herself that she was hardly the gainer by the 
 new development. She did not seem to be quite 
 so much to her husband as she once had been. 
 
 It was at this precise moment that Captain 
 Hazard appeared upon the scene. 
 
 "I had really forgotten how kind he was," 
 cogitated May, sitting down at last to her neg- 
 lected luncheon, from which she and Dolly had
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 149 
 
 resolutely banished servants at the first. ("I 
 knew that's all right, at any rate," Dolly had 
 said ; " I know you can do as you please about 
 being alone at luncheon at the very biggest 
 houses.") "And he must have thought more 
 about me than he pretended," pursued the pretty 
 little lady, helping herself from one dish and 
 another, "or else he certainly would not have 
 known me again, as he did. He knew me in a 
 moment at least after we had spoken for a few 
 moments. And how odd how very odd that we 
 should meet a second time in an out-of-the-com- 
 mon sort of way ! He trespassing in my grounds, 
 and having to beg my pardon, and ask to have 
 the way pointed out to him ! Directly he spoke, 
 I knew who it was ; for of course I had heard 
 him speaking all through that long, horrible 
 drive, though I was never allowed to put in a 
 word. But it was funny and amusing to see how 
 the light gradually broke in upon him. He 
 seemed perfectly confounded ! I daresay it was 
 an absolute revelation to him ! 
 
 "And then," continued she, the blood still 
 dancing in her veins, " how nice it felt to be able 
 to turn the tables ! He had performed one little 
 act of kindness, without ever thinking of its com-
 
 150 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 ing back to him in any shape, and now he finds 
 the poor, little, shivering creature he befriended 
 turned into a mighty princess, with palaces and 
 castles at command ! " And the youthful roman- 
 cist laughed with pleasure, and attacked her cold 
 pheasant with renewed vigour. 
 
 It was now the month of October, for Captain 
 Hazard has not made good his intention of at- 
 tacking Redditch Castle and carrying it by storm 
 on first leaving town. He had floated off on a 
 current which set in another direction, and had 
 contrived to bob along on its surface with toler- 
 able comfort and security for several months. 
 
 At the close of this period he found himself 
 returning from a northern sojourn, and at the 
 end of his resources for the nonce. 
 
 It seemed that the hour had come for pricking 
 a new vein. 
 
 Accordingly, he had had himself put down at 
 a wayside halting-place within a short distance of 
 Lord St. Bees' domain; secured a room at the 
 village inn ; and trusted to his luck. 
 
 Having always more or less been indebted to 
 a civil tongue, and a certain shallow good-nature 
 for smoothing the path of everyday life, he had 
 now no difficulty in learning all that he desired
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 regarding the new lord and his lady and all that 
 he heard pleased him. Had they been the topic 
 of conversation a few months earlier, the report 
 would not indeed have been so favourable; 
 but as it was, one and all with whom Captain 
 Hazard freely chatted had a good word for Dolly 
 and his wife. 
 
 The worst that could be alleged against them 
 was that they kept but little company ; that the 
 castle was not brimming over with gay folks, 
 necessitating extra journeys on the part of 
 butcher and poulterer, together with sudden 
 demands for extraordinary supplies for butter 
 and eggs in short, a general increase of business 
 and activity on every side. 
 
 It had been confidently anticipated that the 
 approach of the autumn season would see a revo- 
 lution at the castle. The quiet life pursued by 
 its occupants during the earlier months of their 
 reign had been regarded as a tribute of very 
 proper respect to the death which had so recently 
 taken place within its walls ; but, to be sure, there 
 would be no occasion for prolonged mourning on 
 the part of so distant a relation as the new peer, 
 and the 1st of September, the good folks had 
 argued, would certainly see the commence-
 
 152 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 ment of shooting parties, such as assemble annu- 
 ally all over England. It had been, indeed, the 
 only period of the year during which the late 
 Lord St. Bees had entertained. His successor 
 might therefore be trusted to do as much. 
 
 But the partridges were ready, and Dolly, 
 according to the general idea, was not. Dolly, 
 like others of his class of mind, could only think 
 of one thing at a time, and though even Mr. 
 Rathbone hinted, " You won't be able to give so 
 much of your time to county affairs when the 
 shooting season begins," the insinuation fell on 
 deaf ears. Not being a keen sportsman, a day in 
 the stubble twice, or at the outside three times a 
 week, would suffice for himself, Dolly argued ; 
 and his keepers might kill the rest. 
 
 "But ah don't you intend ah to have 
 your friends down ? " the vicar had suggested at 
 last. 
 
 Then the colour had risen slightly to Dolly's 
 cheek, and he had answered evasively ; while to 
 May he had confided afterwards, " I say, isn't it a 
 queer thing, but I really know no one I should 
 care to ask ? " 
 
 So that the village was disappointed. But still 
 it spoke up loyally for the young couple. They
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 153 
 
 were taking hold ; they would do very well by- 
 and-by. 
 
 For a whole day Captain Hazard thought out 
 the situation, then he threw himself across the 
 young countess's path (having watched for her re- 
 turn from an early visit paid to the schoolhouse, 
 where May now went regularly once a week), and 
 then we know the rest. 
 
 " I am so glad that Dolly thought I ought to 
 have asked him up;" Dolly's wife pursued her 
 meditations. " He looked so very humble, and 
 and almost forlorn. Fancy being stranded in this 
 neighbourhood, and finding his friends had all de- 
 parted ! And he to be obliged to wait on here, 
 till they write and say where he is to join them ! 
 I wonder if the ' friends ' are the same he was 
 with in Switzerland. How he will make them 
 stare if he tells them about me ! " Her sim- 
 plicity never suggesting that everyone, including 
 Hazard himself, had learnt about her long be- 
 fore. 
 
 " I should have felt it dreadfully if I could 
 not have asked him up, when he looked so wist- 
 fully towards the house, and said what a fine place 
 it was, and how beautifully it was situated," pur- 
 sued the little fly, who had walked straight into
 
 154: SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 the spider's web. " If I had had a cross, disagree- 
 able husband, and been afraid to show any hospi- 
 tality on my own account, how tiresome it would 
 have been ! But Dolly is an angel in that way. 
 And I daresay he will manage to get home before 
 this Captain Hazard leaves." 
 
 By this time she knew the name of her old 
 acquaintance; he having presented his card, 
 which now lay beside her plate. 
 
 " Who would ever have supposed," concluded 
 she, as she rose from the table, "that the man 
 who handed me down from the waggonette that 
 miserable evening but who hardly looked at me, 
 and never seemed to listen at all to Dolly's thanks 
 would be coming up to afternoon tea at our 
 house only too thankful to come, and only too 
 pleased ever to have known us!" Finally, she 
 gave directions that when a gentleman called at 
 five o'clock, he was to be shown into the white 
 drawing-room. The white drawing-room was the 
 finest apartment in Eedditch Castle. 
 
 " Gad ! I think I'm doing pretty well," Haz- 
 ard congratulated himself as he stood within it, 
 awaiting the appearance of his hostess, some hours 
 later. " The stars in their courses are fighting for 
 this poor devil, not against him. To have effected
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 155 
 
 the first meeting; to have got inside the walls, 
 and to find there is not another soul here only 
 the two dears themselves to be manipulated! 
 
 Faith, it's too good to be true ! If I can only ' 
 
 and he invoked the aid of every patron saint he 
 knew as the door opened and Lady St. Bees en- 
 tered.
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 AT the close of a week Captain Philip Hazard 
 was firmly established at Redditch Castle. His 
 portmanteaux and gun cases were in possession of 
 a snug chamber, from which they had no mind 
 to budge, and their master the most amiable, 
 accommodating, and unobtrusive of guests, never 
 in the way, and never out of it, ready to shoot 
 or to fish, to drive or to walk, as occasion offered 
 was felt to be an acquisition by husband and 
 wife alike. 
 
 "He's such a presentable fellow," quoth 
 Dolly genially, when announcing to his wife 
 that Hazard had consented to stay on another 
 week, although he had been "positively ex- 
 pected elsewhere, and must himself go to the 
 telegraph-office to wire the alterations in his 
 programme to different quarters." "He gives 
 quite an air to the place! When we met the 
 Milner party walking home with their guns yes- 
 
 156
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 157 
 
 terday, and Sir Thomas stopped and introduced 
 three of his men to me, I must own I was glad 
 to have one man I could introduce back. Sir 
 Thomas had not met Hazard before. The day 
 the rest of them came over, you know, he was 
 not there. And it appeared Hazard knew one of 
 the fellows. Did I tell you ? Hazard says he is 
 an awful fool, and that no one can ever believe 
 a word he says; but they shook hands right 
 enough. And Sir Thomas has seen me so often 
 alone and he has always such a lot of shooting 
 men with him that it really was lucky Hazard 
 and I should fall in with them. We, with our 
 keepers and dogs and they with theirs, you 
 know." 
 
 " I told Henrietta Milner how it was that we 
 had so few acquaintances, and hardly any rela- 
 tions," replied his wife. " Henrietta seemed 
 quite to understand. I fancy she thought it 
 rather a good thing on the whole, Dolly. You 
 see the only person she has met here was Georg- 
 ina Macinroy." 
 
 " A bad beginning." Dolly laughed a little. 
 " Georgina nearly did for us with the Milners. 
 But we weathered the shock; and now, I am 
 
 sure, they can't have anything to say against 
 11
 
 158 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 Hazard," complacently. " I hope Sir Thomas 
 will ask him over there. May," after a reflective 
 pause, " there's no need to let out that we only 
 came to know Hazard by accident, is there ? 
 There's no need to say anything about it. We 
 met abroad, and now Hazard's stopping with 
 us, and that's the whole story. If Henrietta 
 asks you " 
 
 " I told her we had met in Switzerland. She 
 will not ask any more. Henrietta never asks 
 troublesome questions." 
 
 "All right; you know what to say if she 
 does." May nodded; but, as she foretold, her 
 knowledge was never put to the test. 
 
 " Good Lord ! To think that a creature like 
 Hazard should be the only human being the poor 
 souls can scrape up ! " cried Sir Thomas, having 
 described the encounter to his wife, within the 
 precincts of her own dressing-room before dinner. 
 "I tried to pass it off as well as I could to 
 Monckton and the rest. They were all shouting 
 over Hazard's 'cuteness, and wondering where St. 
 Bees had picked him up, and whether he knew 
 anything about his character and antecedents ? 
 I said what I could. Put it this way that St. 
 Bees was an easy-going young fellow, who had
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 159 
 
 travelled abroad a good deal, and been very little 
 in English society. Ingatestone helped me out 
 in his good-natured way. Said at once that that 
 accounted for it for St. Bees' knowing Hazard, 
 who was at home in half the places people go to 
 on the Continent. Ingatestone was the only man 
 of us who knew Hazard to speak to but they 
 all seemed to know about him, and directly we 
 had parted company, began to talk among them- 
 selves. I did the best I could for St. Bees, who 
 is really behaving very creditably, buckling to 
 his work like a man, and coming out quite strong 
 every now and then when you don't expect it. 
 I said he was a very decent young fellow, and 
 did not seem to have anything to 'imlearn, any 
 bad habits or tendencies except, to be sure, idle- 
 ness and general incompetence. But I was dis- 
 gusted to see him in company with such a pitiful 
 creature as Hazard, who, from what Ingatestone 
 says, is given to skulking about big men's houses, 
 and ingratiating himself until he has obtained 
 some sort of foothold. Ingatestone evidently 
 thought none the better of St. Bees for having 
 such a man as Hazard in his company." 
 
 " You want Lord Ingatestone to think well of 
 St. Bees?"
 
 160 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 "Well, I do for Henrietta's sake. Henrietta 
 makes such a point of it. And if ever there 
 
 is to be anything between those two 
 
 Where is she now ? " broke off Sir Thomas 
 suddenly. 
 
 " Somewhere about. Why do you ask ? " 
 
 " Ingatestone seemed in such a hurry to get 
 home," laughed Sir Thomas. " He would hardly 
 let us get through our day's work, and he didn't 
 come into the house with us. Said he would go 
 round by the kennels ; and, somehow I did not 
 see Henrietta in any of the rooms." 
 
 " If you think that Lord Ingatestone had any 
 idea of meeting her outside," Henrietta's mother 
 drew up her head, " I can assure you Henrietta is 
 the last person " 
 
 " Oh, I don't know I don't know. I only 
 thought young people do find each other out. 
 And he certainly is rather struck eh ? " 
 
 "I never interfere in such matters, Sir 
 Thomas." And Sir Thomas, seeing there was 
 nothing further to be gained by prolonging 
 the discussion, suddenly discovered that he was 
 wet and muddy, and retreated to his own dress- 
 ing-room. 
 
 But all the same he chuckled to himself.
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 "Some people forget that they ever were 
 young," reflected he, pulling off his heavy boots. 
 "Maybe Hetty will forget too, five-and-twenty 
 years hence, and be quite astonished to find that 
 hsr Hetty could think of such a thing as being 
 found by a young gentleman gathering flowers in 
 the garden when she ought to have been in her 
 own room at the top of the house! But I'm 
 much mistaken if Ingatestone didn't scent a pet- 
 ticoat somewhere, when he broke off from us to- 
 day ! I only hope he did. What the deuce ! if 
 young people are not to meet somewhere except 
 just at the dinner-table, or in the drawing-room, 
 how are they ever to get any further ? I think, 
 my Lady Milner, you and I found a certain Lon- 
 don balcony not inconvenient in old times ; and I 
 suspect the back seat of a coach answered our 
 purpose when there was nothing better to be had. 
 But now my lady has grown into such a piece of 
 buckram propriety or thinks she has (though 
 there's a soft spot somewhere which she won't own 
 to and which had better be left untouched until 
 needs must) that I must e'en keep my own 
 counsel. And so I shall, as long as she doesn't 
 put her foot in it," he concluded, unbuttoning 
 vigorously.
 
 162 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 " What is going on here ? " Lord Ingatestone 
 was saying at the same moment. 
 
 He had found a merry party running and 
 shouting beneath a large cedar-tree in the shrub- 
 bery, and been informed by two eager little ones 
 of ten and twelve that they were gathering to- 
 gether the cones which had fallen during a night 
 of wind. "We have got a whole basketful of 
 them," said Ethel proudly. " Henrietta got the 
 largest, but she gave it to Milly, and Milly is 
 going to varnish it for our room. If you will 
 help us we shall soon fill the basket." And Lord 
 Ingatestone professed himself ready to help on 
 the instant. 
 
 Perhaps he did not render any very material 
 aid; perhaps he was not too anxious that the 
 basket should be quickly filled. But his presence 
 certainly added to the zest of the sport; and 
 when it was over he proposed something else, 
 which met with universal approbation. The 
 children had promised to show him their pets, 
 their rabbits and guinea-pigs which were kept at 
 the farm would they take him now? And as 
 they joyfully ran forward to prepare for the ex- 
 hibition he found himself following, as he had 
 hoped, alone by the elder sister's side.
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 163 
 
 " There is something" I want to say to you," 
 began he, with a slight hesitation, " and I fancy 
 I think, perhaps, you would prefer my saying it 
 quietly I mean while no one else is by. You 
 are rather a friend of Lady St. Bees, are you 
 not?" 
 
 " I am very fond of her." Henrietta looked 
 somewhat surprised. " She is a dear little thing, 
 and as simple as a child. What makes you 
 ask?" 
 
 "We were discussing them last night, you 
 know." Ingatestone paused as though consider- 
 ing how best to proceed. "It struck me your 
 mother and you were not quite of the same 
 opinion." 
 
 " Mamma does not understand Lady St. Bees ; 
 and May is afraid of her, and never shows her 
 best when mamma is by." 
 
 "I can understand that" thought he, hav- 
 ing himself a wholesome awe of the stately 
 dowager. 
 
 " Mamma has not been accustomed to people 
 like May," proceeded Henrietta, " and you know 
 it is difficult when one has lived all one's life in a 
 circle of one's own friends ; but it is all right," 
 she nodded confidently. "Mamma is going to
 
 164: SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 like May in time ; when I have got it well into 
 her," laughing. " She will come to see what a 
 good little thing May really is, by and by." 
 
 " Under your care I have no doubt she will 
 turn into all that she ought to be; worthy of 
 your friendship, and oh ! don't be vexed ; I am 
 such a clumsy fool. I see you think I had no 
 business to say that ! But," proceeded the speaker, 
 earnestly, " it slipped out before I thought 
 indeed it did. Miss Milner, if you will forgive 
 me, I will tell you what I really wish to say. It 
 is this. "Will you give Lady St. Bees a little 
 extra bit of watching at present ? She needs it." 
 
 " Needs it ! " exclaimed Henrietta, somewhat 
 startled by his tone. "Needs it? Why? How? 
 I don't understand. What do you know of Lady 
 St. Bees and her requirements ? You never met 
 her before you came here, did you ? " 
 
 " Never but I have heard of her." 
 
 " What have you heard ? Nothing bad, I am 
 sure." 
 
 " Nothing bad, certainly. But there may be 
 nothing bad and yet she is rather a soft, weak, 
 vain little woman, is she not ? " 
 
 " Perhaps she is a little weak," conceded 
 Henrietta, after a momentary reluctance, " and
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 165 
 
 she certainly is soft soft, and gentle, and win- 
 ning. But vain May is not, and whoever said 
 so " 
 
 " It wasn't said, it was inferred. Shall I 
 tell you the whole thing ? But I can't unless 
 we have tune to have it out," foreseeing a de- 
 lightful prospect within his grasp. " Here are 
 your sisters waiting for us. When we have 
 seen the rabbits will you send them in, and 
 take one turn with me in the garden before 
 we follow ? " He drew nearer as he spoke, bend- 
 ing his head to bring his eyes to a level with 
 hers. 
 
 It seemed to Henrietta that she could do no 
 less than agree, though her heart was beating, 
 and her cheeks tingled as she did so. 
 
 Then Lord Ingatestone came out very strong. 
 He said all kinds of funny things about the rab- 
 bits ; he pretended to misunderstand what was 
 told him of their habits and customs ; he made 
 droll mistakes, and threw the two little girls 
 into ecstasies of merriment. Finally he prom- 
 ised them each a specimen of some rare kind, 
 to be despatched from the Zoo as soon as he 
 should return south and be able to make the 
 selection himself.
 
 166 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 Then lie looked at Henrietta, and Henrietta 
 felt a lump rise in her throat. She could not 
 say what she had to say before the head-gar- 
 dener, who was standing by but, falling back 
 upon some incoherent suggestion of getting with- 
 in doors before the dusk deepened, essayed to 
 marshal her little troupe homewards. 
 
 How was she to get rid of Ethel and Milly 
 without showing plainly that such was her in- 
 tention ? 
 
 It was easy to yield Lord Ingatestone a tacit 
 consent, but now that the time for action had 
 come, poor Henrietta quailed before the frankly 
 unsuspicious countenances and continuous chatter 
 of the young ones. They would not even walk 
 in front. They would march all four abreast, 
 one on her side, one on Ingatestone's ; and even 
 as she pondered, a stealthy little hand crept with- 
 in her arm. By the helpless look she received 
 at the same moment, it was easy to guess that 
 a similar capture had been effected on the other 
 side. 
 
 The garden door was reached, and the two 
 older ones, still confused and undecided, and 
 more particularly unable to free themselves be- 
 cause of a certain secret consciousness on the
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 167 
 
 part of each, were standfhg irresolutely upon 
 the stone steps, when the Gordian knot was 
 suddenly severed by the very intruders them- 
 selves. 
 
 " Oh ! I say, we've forgotten the basket of 
 cones," cried Ethel, with a sudden rush, and 
 Milly was after her, and lost to view down a 
 narrow shrubbery path on the instant. 
 
 " Now, quick ! " Lord Ingatestone, with the 
 air of a conspirator upon whose promptitude all 
 the success of a deep-laid scheme depended, 
 seized his companion by the hand and fled in 
 another direction. 
 
 To apologise and laugh at himself was, of 
 course, a natural sequence of so impulsive a 
 proceeding, but that done he could proceed 
 readily to business. 
 
 " I had just got to the point where I heard 
 of Lady St. Bees being an amiable, easily-led 
 person who had never been about the world, 
 and who was not likely to know good from bad 
 in it. It was Hazard who gave me that idea of 
 her. He didn't put it into those words, you 
 may believe. What he said was that she was 
 ' an awfully jolly little woman, and a great friend 
 of his.' Did you ever hear her mention him ? "
 
 168 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 " Never. What is more, I do not believe she 
 knew him at all till the other day. Stop, I be- 
 lieve they had just met at some foreign hotel. 
 And then, as he was in this neighbourhood, 
 Lord St. Bees invited him to Redditch." 
 
 " It was a pity Lord St. Bees did anything 
 of the kind," said Ingatestone, significantly. 
 
 " You mean that he is not " 
 
 " Not the sort of man to have staying as the 
 only guest in a house where there is a pretty, 
 silly little woman, whom he chooses to call ' a 
 great friend.' Whom it will be his interest to 
 make love to " 
 
 " Oh, Lord Ingatestone ! " 
 
 " I am afraid that's just about all I've got to 
 say," said he, looking at her steadily. " At least 
 what it amounts to. Hazard is as bad a lot, 
 take him for all in all, as such an utter fool can 
 be. He hasn't mind enough for any great in- 
 iquity perhaps ' iniquity ' is too strong a word 
 but you wouldn't like your friend to have her 
 name associated with his, and that's precisely 
 what he would like and what, I fancy, will 
 be the result of his stay at Redditch Castle, 
 unless someone can be found to put a spoke in 
 his wheel."
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 169 
 
 Henrietta looked grave. 
 
 On a sudden she recalled to mind one or two 
 little things which had passed unnoticed at the 
 tune, but which now assumed a new aspect. 
 
 " You have met Hazard ? " Lord Ingate- 
 stone eyed her after a pause of some moments. 
 
 ""We found him there, when we went over 
 the other day." 
 
 " What did you think of him ? " 
 
 We to tell the truth, we rather liked him. 
 He was good-looking and pleasant ; and seemed 
 quite at home." 
 
 " Exactly. Quite at home. And taking 
 pains to show he was. And that he and Lady 
 St. Bees " 
 
 \ ". _ 
 
 " No, indeed ; at least " But Henrietta 
 
 felt a sudden qualm even as she made the de- 
 nial. " There was nothing to suggest he was 
 only friendly and easy mamma found no fault 
 we thought nothing about it," she murmured, 
 uneasily. " Not knowing anything of Captain 
 Hazard never having even heard his name be- 
 fore." 
 
 " That was it. Naturally, you were not on 
 the look-out. But if you had known the sort 
 of fellow he was, and the reputation he has
 
 170 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 and prides himself on having and that people 
 are shy of having him at decent houses ' : 
 
 " Oh, Lord Ingatestone, I am so sorry ; I 
 wish we had known before. If you had only 
 told us 
 
 " My dear Miss Milner ! Told you ? Think 
 a moment. Why should I have told you ? " 
 For she was looking reproach, and he almost 
 stammered in his haste to vindicate himself. 
 " I had no notion of his being even in this part 
 of England, until we came slap upon him out 
 shooting this afternoon ! And I shouldn't have 
 said a word now it's not my business to med- 
 dle with the affairs of other people if it hadn't 
 been for what transpired yesterday between you 
 and your mother. If these St. Bees had been 
 ordinary folks, who could take care of them- 
 selves and if Hazard had only been one of a 
 party assembled at their house I should have 
 held my tongue about him and them, seeing no 
 reason for doing anything else. But I gather 
 that this disreputable fellow is the only guest at 
 Redditch just now ; and that his hosts are an 
 innocent young couple, who have taken him at 
 his own valuation. He will twist them round 
 his little finger. Before they know where they
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 are, he will have spread it far and wide that 
 he is their most intimate friend and if it stops 
 short there I mean if that is all that is said it 
 won't be Hazard's fault. Is is Lady St. Bees 
 is she of the the susceptible order, may I 
 ask ? " 
 
 The walkers were at the farthest point of 
 the shrubbery walk as he put the question. 
 Henrietta stood still and looked across the park 
 looked long and earnestly ere she turned 
 round, and with slow, mechanical steps, moved 
 towards the house. She was not sorry the house 
 was some little way off.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 IT was a dull, misty November morning, ex- 
 actly a fortnight after the conversation recorded 
 in the last chapter, and Henrietta Milner stood at 
 a window gazing upon the dreary prospect with a 
 troubled eye. 
 
 Rain and mist had been the order of the day 
 ever since the month set in ; and such cheerless 
 weather made many a country house dull, and its 
 inmates out-of -sorts. For herself she cared little 
 that the skies were grey and the leaves dropping 
 from the trees ; she had occupations and pursuits 
 both out-of-doors and in, with which these in no- 
 wise interfered, and born and bred in the country 
 she loved Nature in every garb, and found enjoy- 
 ment in every season. 
 
 But she was thinking of someone else some- 
 one to whom the monotonous November days 
 might prove a new experience, and who to relieve 
 
 172
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 173 
 
 their gloom might be induced to try a new experi- 
 ment. 
 
 After her confidence with Lord Ingatestone 
 Henrietta had been on thorns to get over to Red- 
 ditch Castle, and see for herself what was going 
 on there. She fancied she hoped that he took 
 an exaggerated view of Captain Hazard's inten- 
 tions and attractions. Men, she considered, did 
 take dislikes to each other on slight and fre- 
 quently unreasonable grounds. Captain Hazard 
 was a handsome man, a man of a finer appearance, 
 she frankly told herself, than most people; cer- 
 tainly he was both taller, better looking, and had 
 more to say for himself than Ingatestone, whose 
 exterior was not in any way remarkable, and 
 whose popularity was due to no efforts of his 
 own. 
 
 Ingatestone was a plain, straightforward man, 
 content to remain in the background of the 
 world's stage ; and had Miss Milner not been 
 anxious to find some lurking motive for his blunt 
 disparagement of Lord St. Bees' guest, she would 
 have contended that no one was less likely to be 
 influenced by jealousy. 
 
 But without being hard on Lord Ingatestone, 
 
 or condemning the feeling very severely, he might 
 12
 
 174 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 be presumed not to be above the foibles of -his 
 kind. She would not, Henrietta assured herself, 
 for a moment believe that so true and honest a 
 man would wilfully blacken the character of an- 
 other and that in what would have been a mean, 
 underhand fashion had circumstances not war- 
 ranted the disclosure. Ingatestone would never 
 have come to her saying what he had said, unless 
 he had not only believed with his whole heart that 
 he was speaking the truth, but had also recognised 
 an urgent necessity for conveying it in the form 
 he had chosen. 
 
 At the moment she had appreciated both the 
 tact and courage shown by her father's guest. 
 She had been grateful from her inmost soul for 
 the delicacy which had put her alone in possession 
 of facts likely to damage her friend's reputation ; 
 and when, later on the same evening, Lady Mil- 
 ner had casually mentioned Captain Hazard in 
 terms not precisely eulogistic, the easy manner 
 with which the tentative suggestion had been met, 
 and the passive refusal of the person addressed 
 to be drawn into any admissions such as her 
 mother evidently expected, met with its due re- 
 ward. 
 
 She bestowed on Ingatestone a covert glance
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 175 
 
 of the warmest approval, a glance which made 
 him happy for the remainder of the evening. 
 He had even had a whispered " Thank you ! " 
 when the time came to say " Good night." 
 
 But afterwards Henrietta, while still doing 
 justice to her informant's honesty of purpose, 
 withdrew some share of her faith in his knowledge 
 and moderation. 
 
 " ~No one can help being influenced to some 
 extent by the weaknesses of human nature," de- 
 cided she with a profound sense of her own wis- 
 dom. " I don't think any the worse of Lord In- 
 gatestone for his disliking heartily such a man as 
 Captain Hazard. I dare say it is perfectly true 
 that Captain Hazard is worthless, and a flirt, and 
 a sponge a character altogether to be despised 
 but surely he cannot be so bad as to be dangerous 
 to poor little May; and yet certainly Lord In- 
 gatestone did seem very much in earnest, and 
 said as much as he could to a girl like me. Any- 
 how, I had better go over to-morrow, and rout 
 him out of Redditch before ill comes of it. There 
 will be no difficulty if I can get May alone, and 
 give her the .hint." 
 
 Then she had paused to consider that she 
 must not go too far.
 
 176 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 She had promised Lord Ingatestone to be 
 careful how she spoke of Hazard. Ingatestone, 
 with his plain common-sense, had warned her 
 that if Hazard had been making the running, as 
 he termed it, rendering himself agreeable to Lady 
 St. Bees and her husband, and ingratiating him- 
 self with both, as it was his custom to do, while 
 giving out in his own set that the wife was his 
 "particular friend" Ingatestone, we say, had 
 warned Henrietta that it was on the cards she 
 might find her task no easy one. Lady St. Bees 
 would probably fire up at the first breath of 
 enlightenment; and if any good at all were to 
 come of interference, her little ladyship would 
 have to be most tenderly and artfully handled. 
 
 " I don't need to tell you, who are so much 
 cleverer than I," Ingatestone had said, with his 
 blue eyes full of admiration; "you will know 
 exactly how to get on, once you have got the cue. 
 But, of course, it's only men who know about 
 men ; and your brothers aren't old enough to go 
 about town and hear things ; and Sir Thomas 
 well, of course, Sir Thomas would never pay any 
 attention, even if he heard Hazard talked about 
 twenty times." 
 
 All of which Henrietta knew to be exactly
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 177 
 
 true ; and she had, as we have said, given Ingate- 
 stone credit for being both kind and prompt ; 
 even whilst arguing that he might have spoken 
 with greater force and fervour than was actually 
 warranted by the occasion. 
 
 But she had come back from Kedditch Castle 
 by no means so sure of her own perspicuity 
 regarding mankind in general, and Lord Ingate- 
 stone in particular, as when she went. He had 
 gone up, and someone else had gone down in her 
 estimation. 
 
 Even while annoyed and affronted by the re- 
 sult of her mission there had been one underly- 
 ing, almost unsuspected spark of comfort. How 
 wonderfully acute Lord Ingatestone had been! 
 How marvelously he had divined all that Captain 
 Hazard was doing, and the line he was taking! 
 She was conscious of a new respect for Ingate- 
 stone. 
 
 Her respect for everyone else was at so low 
 an ebb as to leave a large amount on hand. 
 
 To begin with, she had not been able to see 
 May alone for a single instant and it seemed to 
 her that May evaded the opportunity. The 
 drawing-room was empty when she was first 
 ushered in, but the piano stood open, and a
 
 178 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 quantity of loose music lay scattered about. 
 "What did this mean ? 
 
 Lady St. Bees was no great musician, but she 
 could play and sing a little in a simple, artless 
 fashion that was altogether pleasing to listen to ; 
 and Henrietta had made the most of this gift, 
 urging her not to let it lie dormant, and propos- 
 ing various schemes for bringing it into play. 
 
 But it was not like May to be diligently prac- 
 tising by herself. She generally waited for Hen- 
 rietta to come and beg to hear a new song, or 
 take part in a duet. Henrietta now turned over 
 the music it was none she had ever seen before. 
 More, she observed, with a start, that it consisted 
 mainly of songs for a tenor voice, several of 
 which were initialed in pencil "F. Hazard." 
 Some of them were love songs. 
 
 She turned gloomily from the piano, and 
 walked towards the fireplace. 
 
 The first object that met her eye there was a 
 large photograph reclining against one of the 
 ornaments, Captain Hazard's handsome profile 
 being placed in a most advantageous light. The 
 photograph had evidently just been taken out of 
 its wrappings, which lay near; and she could 
 fancy that the afternoon post had brought it
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 179 
 
 probably straight from the photographer for 
 another view of the same head peeped out from 
 amongst the tissue paper which littered a table 
 near. 
 
 Here was a new discouragement. " He is not 
 out shooting with Dolly to-day," concluded the 
 visitor, swiftly. "May could not have opened 
 this by herself. If she is at home, so is he and 
 if at home, where are they ? " 
 
 At the same moment the door opened, and 
 the butler re-entered. " My lady is in the 
 billiard-room, and says will you join her there, 
 miss ? " And she was preceded down the 
 corridor. 
 
 The click of billiard balls, and the sound of 
 gay voices and laughter struck unpleasantly on 
 Henrietta's ear as the door of the billiard-room 
 was thrown back ; and somehow she knew before 
 she entered that she would not find Lord St. 
 Bees there. Futher, it was intuitively revealed 
 to her that Lord St. Bees had not been there 
 that the players had been enjoying a solitude d 
 deux since the commencement of the game if 
 game it could be called. 
 
 "I am getting on famously," cried May, 
 flourishing her cue, and running to embrace her
 
 180 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 friend. "This is my master," pointing to 
 Hazard, who followed, smiling and self-satisfied. 
 "This is only my third lesson, and he gives a 
 very good report of me, you will be glad 
 to hear. You know, Henrietta, you said I ought 
 to learn to play billiards; it was such good ex- 
 ercise on a wet afternoon. See how I have 
 obeyed you." 
 
 As she spoke there was nothing but pleased 
 expectancy in her face, and to have met the look 
 with any other than one of cheerful interest 
 would have been absurd. 
 
 "Suppose you and Captain Hazard have a 
 game now," suggested the pupil, with an evident 
 effort of self-abnegation. "I can look on. I 
 am not good enough to join, am I ? " appealing 
 to her instructor. "I dare say you will be a 
 very good match," added she preparing to retire 
 to one of the seats raised for onlookers. 
 
 " Charmed, I am sure." But Captain Hazard 
 could scare hide a smile beneath his moustache. 
 He could give points to almost any man at his 
 club, and it tickled him hugely to be told he 
 might find a match in this country girl. " Shall 
 I find you a cue, Miss Milner ? " 
 
 Miss Milner was also smiling, coldly smiling
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 181 
 
 to herself. She did not think she heard her 
 name being bandied about amongst Captain 
 Hazard's associates as his antagonist on the 
 green cloth. She was a skilful player, and would 
 have enjoyed a game, and the surprise her pro- 
 ficiency would probably have elicited but play 
 billiards with Captain Philip Hazard after what 
 Ingatestone had said of him, and in the teeth 
 of what she had come herself to Redditch Castle 
 expressly to say of him ? It could not be done. 
 A fit of disgust seized her as she looked at the 
 table, the balls, and the two who had been oc- 
 cupied with them in the heavy gas-laden atmos- 
 phere. It seemed as though there were some- 
 thing in the very air of the room unwholesome 
 and repulsive. 
 
 Without, it was true, the wind was keen, and 
 the clouds were sweeping the treetops. But she 
 seemed to have come in from purity and fresh- 
 ness; and to have left those behind when she 
 entered the luxurious apartment with its artificial 
 glow of warmth and colour. 
 
 . Captain Hazard had been smoking, too, Hen- 
 rietta was sure of it; and though Dolly's wife 
 always professed to enjoy the odour of her hus- 
 band's cigar, and though a billiard-room is the
 
 182 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 recognised domain of King Tobacco, yet the 
 present exhalation, faint as it was, scored another 
 point against its author. Alone with Lady St. 
 Bees, she ought to have been treated with more 
 respect. 
 
 And Lady St. Bees looked so perfectly un- 
 conscious of anything amiss ! Henrietta felt al- 
 most more annoyed with May for this childish 
 unconsciousness than if she had exhibited any 
 species of confusion, any sense of being 
 " caught." 
 
 "It is too ridiculous. Even though she is 
 such a perfect baby in knowledge of the world, 
 she ought to have feelings and sensations she 
 ought to know by instinct how to behave with a 
 man like this ; I believe even if Lord Ingatestone 
 had never said a word about Captain Hazard, I 
 should have felt it in my l)ones that he was not a 
 man to be free and easy with ! " And in spite of 
 every effort to maintain an air of calm politeness 
 something of these internal emotions painted 
 themselves upon Miss Milner's countenance as she 
 negatived the proposal. 
 
 May looked faintly surprised and discon- 
 certed. Hazard walked round the table, ex- 
 tracted the red ball from a pocket at the farther
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 183 
 
 end, and affected to busy himself placing it upon 
 the spot. 
 
 "Don't let me interrupt you, however," said 
 Henrietta, feeling she could say no less. " It is 
 not quite tea-time, and I should like to see how 
 you get on, May." After which the lesson had 
 proceeded, and even to the most critical eye 
 there had been nothing to find fault with in 
 the demeanour of either teacher or pupil. 
 Philip Hazard knew when it behoved him to 
 be careful. 
 
 The three had adjourned to the drawing-room 
 for tea, and there had been a stroll on the terrace 
 afterwards and presently Dolly had arrived, 
 cheerful and important, as he usually was in 
 these days; and Henrietta had to go, having 
 done nothing and received no very clear impres- 
 sion but with a dim sense of dissatisfaction, and, 
 as we have said, a higher opinion of Lord Ingate- 
 stone's discernment than she had previously ex- 
 perienced. 
 
 Two days afterwards Lady St. Bees had been 
 met driving alone with her guest at some distance 
 from Redditch Castle. Sir Thomas had encoun- 
 tered the pair, and been informed that Dolly had 
 been driven to an outlying railway station, where
 
 184 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 he had been dropped, to be picked up again in 
 the course of two hours. 
 
 "Who was going to pick him up, I don't 
 know," remarked Sir Thomas, as though amused 
 by the idea. " 'Pon my word, Lord St. Bees is 
 going ahead of us all in his devotion to business. 
 I couldn't have believed it of Dolly four months 
 ago. But I think he should hardly leave that 
 nice young wife of his to find her own company," 
 continued he, after a moment's pause. " Hetty," 
 turning to his daughter, who was standing silently 
 by with a disturbed countenance, "you have 
 taken Lady St. Bees in hand. Give her a hint 
 about Hazard. Tell her to be more 'circum- 
 spect,' as your mother would say," and he 
 moved off. 
 
 Henrietta raised her eyes to meet Ingate- 
 stone's, and the two instantly looked away from 
 each other. 
 
 The following day another attempt was made. 
 A note was sent over to Eedditch Castle, and a 
 pony-carriage in which May was invited to return 
 and spend the day at Monkswood. Henrietta 
 wrote that she particularly wished to see her 
 friend, and that hearing from her father that 
 the gentlemen were all going to shoot together,
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 185 
 
 she seized the opportunity, and Lady St. Bees 
 must come. A postscript was added to the 
 effect that Lady Milner would be happy if the 
 trio would dine at Monkswood in which case, if 
 May would bring her evening dress, a room 
 would be at her disposal, and she need not re- 
 turn to the castle until she drove home with 
 her husband in the evening. 
 
 The pony-carriage came back empty. 
 
 Lady St. Bees had promised to take Miss 
 Rathbone to shop in a neighbouring town that 
 afternoon, and in the morning she had such a 
 number of things to do which had accumulated 
 of late, she was afraid she could not possibly 
 spare the time. Lord and Lady St. Bees, how- 
 ever, together with Captain Hazard, would have 
 much pleasure in dining at Monkswood, and 
 would all arrive there in company at eight 
 o'clock. 
 
 " And deuced civil of them to ask me, I'm 
 sure ! " cogitated Hazard, with much inward 
 self-gratulation. " I must have been mistaken 
 about that girl. She has an infernally stiff, dis- 
 agreeable manner ; but country girls often have 
 that. Little May was ever so prim when I first 
 knew her. I have taught her better; she is
 
 186 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 quite jolly now, and indeed she is such a little 
 simple fool that I only hope she won't show 
 too plainly what friends we have become in this 
 fortnight. She has no notion of its being some- 
 what against the conventionalities. The hus- 
 band's an ass, too ; but that's as well. If he were 
 to be glum and surly at this juncture, it might 
 be awkward. I like to keep in with everybody 
 all around," concluded our astute adventurer in 
 the height of his prosperity.
 
 CHAPTEK XIY. 
 
 LADY ST. BEES was not able to accompany 
 her husband and guest to the dinner at Monks- 
 wood, and to Henrietta this absence seemed to 
 have been of set purpose. We may inform our 
 readers that this was not so. May had returned 
 from her shopping expedition with a severe head- 
 ache, and genuinely unfit for an evening's fes- 
 tivity. But to her friend the disappointment 
 conveyed in a message by Dolly had the ring of a 
 false note and she was sure that Ingatestone 
 shared her apprehensions. She could not look at 
 him whilst the apology was being tendered. 
 
 Then Lord Ingatestone left Monkswood, and 
 left it perhaps without having obtained all he 
 had hoped for there; yet with certain secret 
 vistas of his own, with which at present our 
 readers have nothing to do. 
 
 And now we come to the November after- 
 noon when Miss Milner stood gazing idly from
 
 188 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 the window, fretted, anxious, and irresolute, and 
 through it all missing more than she would have 
 liked to own the wistful face which had taken 
 itself off that morning, and in which alone there 
 was to be found sympathy and participation in 
 the secret burden which oppressed her soul. 
 
 She could not get at May, do what she would. 
 It seemed as though a barrier had risen up be- 
 tween the two. And though its construction 
 might be partially due to accident and partially, 
 she could not help suspecting, to the adroitness 
 of Captain Hazard still his youthful hostess 
 must surely have been willing to play into his 
 hands; and it seemed to her that into May's 
 countenance there had gradually crept some con- 
 sciousness of this. 
 
 May did not look quite so straight into 
 Henrietta's eyes as she had done that first day 
 in the billiard-room. She flushed a little when 
 she mentioned Hazard's name. And there was 
 an anxiety to account for her actions, and a 
 careful explanation of the reasons for her walk- 
 ing or driving alone with her guest, which would 
 not, Henrietta felt, have formerly been there. 
 
 "What on earth does that fellow stay on 
 for ? " Sir Thomas exclaimed more than once,
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 189 
 
 when the third week drew to a close, and Hazard 
 was still at Redditch Castle. 
 
 " Henrietta, I thought you meant to oust 
 him," continued the speaker, turning abruptly to 
 his eldest daughter. " He is not the sort of man 
 at all St. Bees ought to have for a friend. And 
 just as he and his wife were beginning to do so 
 well too ! It's a monstrous pity there should be 
 anything of this sort cropping up to set people off 
 on the other tack again." 
 
 " I was always afraid you over-rated Lady St. 
 Bees ; " Henrietta's mother followed suit directly 
 her husband ceased. " My first impression, you 
 will remember, was not favourable. But you 
 were inclined to take her up. I am afraid you 
 are going to be disappointed." 
 
 "Aye, if she turns into one of those fast, 
 flirting young married women of fashion, she is 
 no friend for you, Hetty," cried Sir Thomas, 
 with the blunt disapprobation of the British 
 paterfamilias. "And I tell you what, it's my 
 belief that we have got a rum customer in this 
 Lady St. Bees. He's well enough; St. Bees 
 himself is turning out a trump ; but she, with her 
 innocent baby face- ' 
 
 " And she made out she was the one who was 
 13
 
 190 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 most anxious to do her duty in her new posi- 
 tion," chimed in Lady JVIilner again. "You 
 thought she spoke so nicely about it, Hetty ; and 
 was to consult you and Miss Rathbone in every- 
 thing. You got me to let her grow quite inti- 
 mate with us," in an aggrieved tone. " And now 
 people will be saying " 
 
 " I'll tell you what they're saying." It was Sir 
 Thomas's turn. " Willoughby told me yesterday 
 that people were saying St. Bees had no ballast 
 that when he first came he wouldn't look at a 
 title-deed, and scarcely sign his name to a lease. 
 And now he's all over the county, hunting up 
 abuses, and sweeping about like a new broom 
 while his pretty little wife is left to amuse her- 
 self with Why, Hetty? Eh? Upon my 
 
 word ! " Sir Thomas looked round in consterna- 
 tion, while Lady Milner.'s lips parted, and the em- 
 broidery needle fell from between her fingers. 
 
 For each was suddenly conscious that they had 
 been hearkened to thus far in dumb submission, 
 because Henrietta had no words to speak because 
 her throat was swelling and her lips were quivering, 
 and the blinding tears were dropping thick and 
 fast from her averted eyes. 
 
 All that had been said was only what she was
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 saying to herself every day, every hour now. She 
 had been so buoyant, so confident, and her task 
 apparently beyond all anticipation so easy when 
 she first undertook to train the natural, unaffected, 
 little May St. Bees into a great lady. Little May 
 was already charming, she declared ; needing so 
 
 very little such a mere touch to to 
 
 And though the sentence was left to the imagina- 
 tion of her hearers, everyone knew what Henri- 
 etta meant. The soil being fallow, it had seemed 
 there would be no difficulty whatever in stocking 
 it abundantly with good seed which in time should 
 bear good fruit. She had not calculated on- the 
 need of enrichment for the soil itself. 
 
 And then had come the check. 
 
 It had come at the very height of Henrietta's 
 triumph. May had made a remarkably good ap- 
 pearance at a large county gathering. The Mil- 
 ners had been told over and over again how agree- 
 ably surprised everybody was in Lady St. Bees. 
 Dolly, it was understood, was quite likely to hark 
 back to family traditions, and speedily become just 
 such a Lord St. Bees as his forefathers had been ; 
 and such a Lord St. Bees as would be satisfactory 
 to the county generally. But his wife had noth- 
 ing to fall back upon. Nobody knew who she
 
 192 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 was or ever had been ; and her appearance in their 
 midst had been resented as an intrusion, and a 
 most unfortunate circumstance. 
 
 The extremely quiet life the young couple had 
 led up to the present time had, however, done 
 something to modify public opinion ; and the un- 
 deniable improvement in the outward bearing and 
 demeanour of the young countess which had taken 
 place before she made her first public appearance, 
 had done still more. May, with quick apprehen- 
 sion, had caught the tone of the Milner family, 
 and insensibly imbibed enough of what she saw 
 there to pass muster when met in their midst, 
 and presented by them among their friends. 
 
 Henrietta had been jubilant when the party 
 drove home after the fete ; foretelling that in a 
 very short tune no one would remember anything 
 of her friend's humbler antecedents, that she 
 would gradually acquire all the necessary knowl- 
 edge entailed by her position, and fill worthily 
 and gracefully the post to which she had been 
 called by fortune. 
 
 The very next day Captain Hazard had been 
 met in the grounds of Redditch Castle. 
 
 And now the father and mother could do 
 nothing but look at each other in wondering per-
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 193 
 
 turbation, whilst the poor girl wept on. Henri- 
 etta was not one to whom consolation could be 
 offered too easily. Had they guessed how cruelly 
 every previous word struck home they would 
 have been more chary of speech ; they would 
 have avoided a joint attack ; Sir Thomas would 
 have held his peace altogether in his daughter's 
 presence, and to his wife would have fallen the 
 task of privately imparting the views of both upon 
 the subject. 
 
 As things had gone, however, a hasty retreat 
 fi-om the scene was now the only course which 
 commended itself to a fond, cowardly father, and 
 the poor gentleman, in his extremity, simply 
 bolted from the room. 
 
 " I I believe there's someone someone wait- 
 ing for me," muttered he, and fled incontinently. 
 
 Then Lady Milner understood what she had 
 to do. 
 
 " My dear child my poor Hetty. Come and 
 sit down, and let us talk it over together," said 
 she, patting the sofa by her side. " I am so 
 grieved, my darling. Papa and I had no idea 
 that you felt it like this. We should never have 
 spoken as we did if we had known. But, Hetty 
 dear, you never said a word, and we thought you
 
 194 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 saw nothing. And really it was time though I 
 cannot bear to put such thoughts into young 
 girls' minds," murmured the sober matron, who, 
 like many others of her way of thinking, held that 
 youth knew nothing until it was instructed by 
 age. " It appears, then, that you have been think- 
 ing your own thoughts about about all this ? " 
 she suggested vaguely, still reluctant to approach 
 the distasteful subject in plainer terms. 
 
 Henrietta nodded. 
 
 " And that was why you were so vexed at be- 
 ing unable to persuade Lady St. Bees to come 
 here last week, and so disappointed at not finding 
 her at home once or twice when you were over 
 there lately ? " 
 
 " Yes, mamma. I cannot get at May," burst 
 forth Henrietta at last, struggling with her tears. 
 " If I could once persuade her to talk with me as 
 she used to do, and tell me all her difficulties, and 
 open her heart mamma, she used to tell me 
 e&ryfhing and there was not a thought that girl 
 had that you might not have known, and I might 
 almost say that you would not have approved. 
 You would simply have been astonished to find 
 how little there was that you would have thought 
 needed remedying. She was ignorant, and that was
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 195 
 
 all. And she was willing to learn and, mamma, 
 I learnt something from her too I used to come 
 away from Redditch feeling ever so much hum- 
 bler than when I went there. I hated my own 
 superior voice instructing and dictating, and felt 
 ashamed of being always looked up to. It made 
 me long to tell May I was not at all the sort of be- 
 ing she took me for. I did try to say so, and the 
 look she gave me made me feel that it would be 
 better to let it alone, and only set myself to be 
 what poor little May thought I was. I have been 
 trying " 
 
 "I know you have, my love. We have all 
 noticed it. You were always a conscientious, un- 
 selfish girl, Hetty, but a little inclined to think 
 too much of your own opinion. Well, well, 
 never mind that now. And you are greatly 
 improved, my dear; and, indeed, no one could 
 have foreseen this turn of events; for we were 
 all so pleased with the way the St. Bees were 
 turning out but if May has been deceiving 
 you " Her tone grew sterner. 
 
 " Mamma, I am sure she has not been deceiv- 
 ing me but I am afraid she is deceiving herself. 
 Mamma, I must speak to her and save her ; get 
 her out of the hold of this man. I don't believe
 
 196 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 May has any idea of the sort of man he is. / 
 should never have guessed but for " 
 
 " For what ? " 
 
 "For Lord Ingatestone's telling me," said 
 Henrietta, in a low voice. " It is no use keeping 
 it to myself any longer. When Captain Hazard 
 had been a week at the castle, and Lord Ingate- 
 stone had been two days with us, they met on the 
 marsh between the two shooting grounds, do you 
 remember ? "When Lord Ingatestone returned 
 that evening, he told me in the garden all about 
 Captain Hazard at least, he probably did not 
 tell me all ; but he said very plainly that he had 
 a disreputable character, and was well known as 
 a fast man, who made it his business to stay 
 about in houses where people were not too par- 
 ticular, and and I knew what he meant. Cap- 
 tain Hazard would like to boast that he was a 
 great friend of Lady St. Bees, and have his name 
 coupled with hers, and all the rest of it. He 
 ought never to have been allowed to stay on as he 
 has done." 
 
 " Your father did give Lord St. Bees a hint," 
 said Lady Milner, looking troubled, " as broad a 
 one as one gentleman could give another, he told 
 me. And the answer was that Captain Hazard
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 197 
 
 was leaving the next day. But that was a week 
 ago, and he is still there." 
 
 " He is so plausible and agreeable ; " said 
 Henrietta, "and makes himself useful to Lord 
 St. Bees, and behaves perfectly well when he is 
 present. I think he would even be careful how 
 far he went with May. He can see, as we all 
 can, that she is in her heart perfectly devoted 
 to her husband, and that she would never go 
 beyond a sentimental flirtation with anyone else. 
 Mamma, I am sure she would not. I am not in 
 the least afraid for her. But what I am afraid of 
 is that she likes the admiration, and the amuse- 
 ment, and the little silly fun of it all, in these 
 dull days when there is nothing else to do. And, 
 perhaps, it is the first time that anything of the 
 kind has ever come in her way. I daresay no 
 man of Captain Hazard's stamp had ever thought 
 it worth while to pay her attention when she was 
 only insignificant little Mrs. Feveril. She wasn't 
 pretty enough as that. And then I gather that 
 she had invariably her dear Dolly at her elbow, 
 and they did everything together. It is almost a 
 pity that Dolly is so much away from her now. 
 May wants someone, she can't stand alone yet. 
 If she had some variety, some distraction
 
 198 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 mamma, I liave a thought. Will you let me go 
 to London ? " 
 
 " To London, my dear ! " 
 
 " I really want to do my Christmas shopping. 
 There are a heap of things to get, both for our- 
 selves and for the village. I want oh, a number 
 of things. My wardrobe is run down to its low- 
 est ebb. And there are the prizes for the school- 
 children ; and if we are to get up that entertain- 
 ment, we shall want scenery and dresses and all 
 sorts of odds and ends. Then I heard you saying 
 yesterday you did not know how you were going 
 to get on without sending someone to bring down 
 provisions " 
 
 " But what has this all to do with Lady St. 
 Bees?" 
 
 " I shall take May with me," said Henrietta, 
 rising from the sofa with sparkling eyes. " I 
 shall simply make her go ! Aunt Laura shall 
 take us both in, and she and the cousins in Park 
 Street can trot about with us everywhere. "We 
 shall fly all over the place, and May shall be in 
 such a bustle, and find everything so bright and 
 jolly in Portman Square that mamma, I must 
 go over at once. If I can catch her and if I 
 can't catch her I'll wait for her I shall boldly
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 199 
 
 say to Captain Hazard that he must excuse Lady 
 St. Bees for leaving him to his own devices, as I 
 have something very special to say to her in pri- 
 vate. I'll say it quite good-humouredly, so that 
 neither of them shall suspect anything. And, 
 mamma, don't you think it would be better even 
 when we two are alone, not to say a word 
 more about Captain Hazard if I can help it ? To 
 wait until I have won May back to be her old 
 self with me ? If he agrees to go quietly he 
 shan't go with us, for I won't have him, I'll 
 speak out rather than that " 
 
 " Certainly I should not allow him to travel 
 with you." 
 
 " If he should have the effrontery to propose 
 such a thing, I should know how to meet it." 
 
 Henrietta drew up her beautiful long neck 
 with an air which the most venturesome would 
 scarce have dared to trifle with. 
 
 " Then I may go, mamma ? Thank you, dear 
 mother," kissing her, and pausing to think before 
 taking action. "I could drive round by Hurl- 
 mere on the way home, and send aunt Laura a 
 telegram from there," she meditated aloud. 
 
 "If Lady St. Bees gives you a favourable 
 reply," hinted her mother.
 
 CHAPTEK.XY. 
 
 " BY Jove ! If that isn't a nuisance ! " ex- 
 claimed Captain Hazard, standing on the portico 
 steps of the castle, " you've been all the morn- 
 ing boxed up with one female," indicating Miss 
 Rathbone, who was scuttling out of sight with 
 Sybella's own brisk, hurried step, as he addressed 
 Lady St. Bees within the doorway, " and here 
 comes another ! Just as I was going to suggest 
 a stroll down to the river to see what luck St. 
 Bees is having, too ! " and he eyed discontentedly 
 Henrietta's pony-cart approaching as he spoke. 
 
 " I told St. Bees we would look him up some 
 time, and he will wonder what has become of us," 
 pursued the speaker artfully. " You can tell 
 your friend so, can't you ? Say we are going 
 down to join him, and have been delayed al- 
 ready ? " 
 
 " Oh, don't delay for me," said Miss Milner, 
 when this was explained to her. " I have come 
 
 200
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 201 
 
 over to see Lady St. Bees about a project I have 
 on hand, and as I want to talk it all out, Captain 
 Hazard can join Lord St. Bees," looking at her 
 friend, " and tell him that he must give you up 
 to me for the rest of the morning." 
 
 " Unless Miss Milner would also come down 
 to the river ? " suggested Hazard. 
 
 And it is notable that neither he nor Hen- 
 rietta addressed each other directly, but both 
 kept their eyes steadily fixed on the third per- 
 son in the trio. 
 
 " May, dear, you don't grudge me an hour of 
 your company ? " said Henrietta, in a voice that 
 trembled a little, for she could not but be con- 
 scious of a certain blankness which had fallen 
 over the other's face. Also it seemed to her 
 that Hazard, playing ostentatiously with Lady 
 St. Bees' spaniel, was gathering up his forces to 
 defeat her purpose. Her heart beat a little fast- 
 er; the confidence wherewith she had started, 
 begotten of this new prospect, and of her own 
 unhesitating belief in its efiicacy, was fast ooz- 
 ing away beneath such a reception. 
 
 " Oh, yes certainly of course " after a mo- 
 mentary hesitation, and in a manner altogether 
 unlike her own, Lady St. Bees at length found
 
 202 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 the requisite answer. But even as she spoke, a 
 timid glance seemed to assure Hazard of her 
 sympathy in his disappointment, and unwilling- 
 ness to carry out the decree. 
 
 It was a bright frosty morning, and independ- 
 ently of other considerations, she was longing to 
 be out-of-doors in the exhilarating sunshine ; yet 
 somehow did not feel disposed to suggest a walk 
 to Henrietta. 
 
 On a walk one would be absolutely en tete a 
 tete with one's companion, one would have to lis- 
 ten and reply, whatever might be said. There 
 could be no interruptions, no distractions. 
 
 Supposing Henrietta had come over prepared 
 to be rather down upon poor Captain Hazard for 
 instance ? He knew well enough that he was 
 not beloved of Miss Milner, and had frankly 
 pointed this out to his hostess even before she 
 saw it for herself. By-and-by he had cunningly 
 insinuated the reason young ladies did not like 
 to see each other preferred. And poor little 
 foolish May had swallowed the bait without 
 hesitation. 
 
 After that it had come to be quite a little joke 
 between her and Hazard. He had vowed " Miss 
 Milner was not his style " ; what was more, he
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 203 
 
 "never could see anything fine in figures like 
 hers, nor in those deuced long necks." They 
 gave a confoundedly haughty appearance, he 
 thought. Miss Milner would be as like her 
 mother as two peas twenty years hence, and, 
 for his part, he thought Lady Milner the most 
 forbidding-looking dowager he had ever set eyes 
 upon. 
 
 And subsequent to that May had felt the 
 increasing gravity on her friend's brow every 
 time the friends met. 
 
 At first she wondered that Henrietta should 
 not be above any little petty jealousy, and being 
 so beautiful and so much admired, should not be 
 able to dispense with the homage of one stray 
 man. She had seen Henrietta so often the ob- 
 ject of attention, and been so ready to concede 
 her claims to it on every ground, that it did 
 seem hard, and absurd too, if directly someone 
 came to the castle who seemed to prefer her 
 own harmless little self, Henrietta should purse 
 up her lips with the air of a disapproving 
 angel. 
 
 So May put it to herself. Scarcely to her 
 own heart would she allow that there was some 
 foundation for the calm gravity of her friend's
 
 204: SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 demeanour that already the fascinating Hazard 
 had whispered more than one aside which he had 
 been fain to apologise for afterwards, only half 
 explaining it away, and deprecating her resent- 
 ment with look and voice, which in themselves 
 repeated the offence. She had been angry with 
 him, and forgiven him, and had said nothing 
 about the matter to Dolly and in this last lay 
 the evil germ. 
 
 It was but a germ so far. Yet the germ 
 brought a red spot to May's cheek, even as the 
 worm in the apple causes the same upon its sur- 
 face; and she felt a reluctance to being alone 
 with her friend, which betrayed to herself more 
 than she had ever suspected before. 
 
 Accordingly, when Captain Hazard, feeling, 
 as he phrased it to himself, that the game was up 
 for the present, obeyed her implied mandate with 
 the best grace he could, and still calling to the 
 dog, and affecting to be engaged with its gam- 
 bols, strolled off in the direction of the river, 
 Lady St. Bees assumed a vivacity she was far 
 from feeling, suddenly recollected that she had a 
 dozen things to show Henrietta ; and would fain 
 have kept her looking at this and that, and chat- 
 tering about trifles, in order to put off anything
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 205 
 
 like serious conversation, and use up the time as 
 much as possible. 
 
 Henrietta understood perfectly. But she, too, 
 had a courage of her own, and calling it to her 
 aid, brought up short the volatile little lady just 
 as some fresh toy was about to be exhibited, and 
 a new topic started. 
 
 " No more to-day, May, I have not too long to 
 stay," consulting her watch, and not unconscious 
 of a brightening on the other's countenance at 
 the words, " and, you see, as mamma spared me 
 this morning, and took our guests off my hands 
 on purpose that I might come here, you must let 
 me get my business settled before we amuse our- 
 selves." She then, as easily as she could, in- 
 troduced her mission, placing it in as attractive a 
 light as possible, and concealing her anxiety be- 
 neath a garb of confident anticipation. 
 
 For she could not but perceive that there was 
 no jubilant outcry of acquiescence such as she 
 could have counted upon eliciting a month 
 before. 
 
 "How very kind of you! Yes, indeed it 
 would be very nice ! I wonder if I could man- 
 age it." 
 
 At length the uncertain, hesitating syllables 
 14
 
 206 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE, 
 
 formed themselves on lips that belied their 
 purport. 
 
 " Of course it would be delightful if Mrs. 
 Courtenay really would have us. How kind of 
 you to think of it! Of course I must ask 
 Dolly." 
 
 " Oh, certainly. "We can ask him at once. 
 And I propose to telegraph as I go home." 
 
 " But did you say to-morrow ? Would not that 
 be rather sudden ? Are they likely to be able to 
 take us in on such very short notice ? " 
 
 "It is a large house, and none of Mrs. 
 Courtenay's sons or daughters are at home." 
 
 "But would it not be taking her by sur- 
 prise ? " 
 
 " My aunt likes to be taken by surprise." 
 
 " You have friends staying with you ; you do 
 not mind leaving them ? " 
 
 " They go to-morrow ; they would travel part 
 of the way with us. "We should just fill a ladies' 
 carriage." 
 
 "But we also have a guest," the speaker's 
 tone altered and each alike knew that the critical 
 moment had come. It stared them in the face, 
 and caused a simultaneous quickening of both 
 pulses.
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 207 
 
 Rehearsing the scene beforehand, Henrietta 
 had fancied it would be easy to let fall a few mild 
 firm words about Captain Hazard which would 
 effect her purpose without too openly betraying 
 that he was the instigation of the whole project 
 whilst yet letting it be felt that his departure was 
 advisable, and his amour propre not to be taken 
 into account. She had been sure that some diffi- 
 culty would be raised, upon which her little 
 friendly admonition could hinge. 
 
 But brought to face with those averted eyes 
 and that lowered tone, the plunge was worse than 
 she had anticipated. Indeed looking back upon 
 it she could scarce remember what happened 
 next, and was fain to wonder what she could have 
 said to call forth the impassioned defence against 
 which she found herself all at once directing a 
 whole battery of representations and arguments. 
 
 " I knew you did not like him ; I knew it all 
 along," panted May at last. " And you got him 
 out of the way this morning on purpose to say 
 this. He sees it too." 
 
 " He is very welcome to see it." Miss Mil- 
 ner's haughty tone would have chilled a less- 
 excited auditor. " Captain Hazard is probably 
 not unaccustomed to provoking the feeling."
 
 208 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 Then, in a more natural manner. " He is a 
 dangerous man, dear May. You are no match 
 for a man like him. Just see how he got into 
 your house at the first. You knew nothing what- 
 ever about him ; you know nothing now " 
 
 An indignant protest. 
 
 " Nothing but what he tells you " 
 
 "How can we know? We know very few 
 people. We have never met any of his set. I 
 daresay if we had lived more in the world " 
 
 " If you had li ved more in the world," said 
 Henrietta, taking her hand, " you would not I 
 feel sure you would not have been caught by a 
 worthless, unprincipled adventurer you would 
 have heard what others said of him you would 
 have detected for yourself " 
 
 " What others say of liim ! " cried May, flam- 
 ing with scorn. And Henrietta perceived that 
 to pursue that argument was useless. She aban- 
 doned it with a motion of her hand. 
 
 " There, never mind that," she cried, with a 
 secret swift dread of Ingatestone's name being 
 mentioned (which was unfounded, for May had 
 been too much engrossed with her own affairs to 
 give any heed to Ingatestone). "Never mind 
 what people say, I can understand your thinking
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 209 
 
 it of no consequence ; I should feel the same 
 about a friend " 
 
 " You would, Henrietta ? " A softer look 
 stole over Lady St. Bees' girlish countenance. 
 "It always makes me angry to hear people 
 spoken unkindly about behind their backs," she 
 murmured. " You used to agree with me." 
 
 " Oh, I do." This was touching a weak 
 point. " And when I first heard Captain Haz- 
 ard had the reputation " But here anew the 
 
 speaker swerved off a quicksand. Suppose May 
 were to inquire from whom had come the infor- 
 mation ? "I thought him an agreeable good- 
 looking man," proceeded Miss Milner, feeling 
 as if the worst had passed, and the ice having 
 been broken, her companion would now be amen- 
 able to something like calm discussion. " But my 
 father " 
 
 " "Was it Sir Thomas ? " said May, looking 
 round quickly. 
 
 " I don't think it matters much who it was. 
 You know we had a party of men with us when 
 Captain Hazard came here first, and they all spoke 
 of him among themselves, and some of them 
 knew him, and they told the rest. Papa did try 
 to give Lord St. Bees a hint."
 
 210 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 " Dolly told me," said May, reluctantly. 
 
 "And Lord St. Bees thought that Captain 
 Hazard was leaving the next day." Henrietta 
 turned, and looked her companion full in the 
 face. The eyes before her fell. May knew 
 who had caused the alteration in Hazard's 
 plans. 
 
 "Dear," said Henrietta, suddenly throwing 
 her arms about the slight figure at her side. 
 " Dear May dearest May, did you not say I 
 was to be your sister? Won't you listen to 
 your sister? Does not your own heart echo 
 what she says ? You know May you know it 
 does. Oh, don't put me off with words and 
 arguments. It is so easy to make it all out to 
 be right, and yet to know in one's heart that it 
 is wrong. And you, dear, you are so young 
 and sweet and simple and this bad man has 
 been playing on your guilelessness and he has 
 found your husband trusting you so implicitly, 
 and believing in you so thoroughly is not that 
 it, May ? " 
 
 May was regarding her with the astonished 
 air of a child amazed at wisdom beyond her 
 grasp. 
 
 "And you thought there could be no harm
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 211 
 
 as long as jour own husband was satisfied. And 
 you felt just as fond of him as ever," flashed 
 forth Henrietta, to whom the workings of her 
 friend's mind seemed now laid bare as by a sort 
 of revelation. " And your husband was pleased 
 to have you looking bright and happy again, and 
 thought what a good thing it was for you to have 
 some cheerful companionship these dull winter 
 
 days " 
 
 "He did, he did. Indeed, Hetty, sometimes 
 when Captain Hazard was quite pressing to go, 
 and saying that he was ashamed of being still 
 found here when you and others came over, and 
 that he was sure people must wonder whether he 
 was ever going away, Dolly would say back, ' Oh, 
 we can't spare you. You keep us going.' And 
 Captain Hazard has been so useful to him about his 
 dogs and horses. He sat up half the night with a 
 sick dog, and wouldn't have the vet., for he said 
 he knew as well as any vet. ; and he fetched the 
 medicine himself ; we drove all the way to Swan- 
 burn for it," suddenly the eager voice broke off, 
 and the speaker's cheeks burned afresh. " Dolly 
 said I was to go. He himself said it. He ar- 
 ranged the drive, and thought it would do me 
 good. And when Dolly goes out shooting, Cap-
 
 212 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 tain Hazard always goes with him ; and when he's 
 
 fishing we go down and look on " 
 
 "May," Henrietta took the brown head be- 
 tween her hands, and looked into the eyes before 
 her. " I told you that words could be made to 
 say anything. And, besides, I know all this is 
 true, and that you have been deluded by it just 
 because it is true. But it doesn't reach down 
 below the surface, May. "When your husband 
 sends you out walking and driving with his friend, 
 and when he is quite pleased that you should be 
 passing your time together in the drawing-room, 
 or billiard-room, do you think he would be equal- 
 ly well content if he were there and neither of 
 you knew it ? Don't answer me," proceeded 
 Henrietta quickly, " there is no need for me to 
 know more than he knows. Only say you'll go 
 with me to London, dear," catching sight of two 
 figures approaching the house, and feeling there 
 was not a moment to be lost. " Dear May, until 
 now you have not known what you were doing ; 
 you have allowed yourself a little amusement, a 
 little admiration, and a few sensations new to 
 you; you have thought no harm, at least you 
 have hardly begun to suspect there was any. 
 But, if after this oh, May, you can't, you won't
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 213 
 
 after this persist in shutting your eyes ? You do 
 know now yes, I can see it in your face. Say 
 then that you will end it now at once and for 
 ever. Say that you will go with me." 
 
 For answer May turned, as it were, mechan- 
 ically, towards the open window which faced the 
 lawn, and moving forwards, passed through, 
 whilst Henrietta kept even pace by her side. 
 "What was passing through her mind could only 
 be guessed. Was she about to prove her acquies- 
 cence by immediate action ? Or was she, on the 
 other hand, bent on bringing the interview to a 
 close without having anything further elicited on 
 her part ? 
 
 The two figures had disappeared from view, 
 lost in the shrubbery on which her eyes were 
 bent ; and judging it best to let her take her 
 own course without bringing to bear further 
 pressure, yet in some doubt as to how the affair 
 would end, the elder young lady said no more, 
 and they walked along in silence. 
 
 Every moment Henrietta expected to be met 
 by a gay greeting, and obviously May did the 
 same, for on entering a narrow path, shut in by 
 thick hedges of laurel, she came to a sudden half, 
 and looked round in surprise. No one was to be
 
 214 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 seen, and not a sound was to be heard! Each 
 alike thought, " Where can they have vanished 
 to?" 
 
 But the next moment the fragrance of cigar 
 smoke betrayed the proximity of mankind, and in 
 a blyther mood would have suggested an ambush 
 and a frolic. The hidden pair were within a few 
 feet ; could almost have been touched ; smoking 
 serenely in a tiny alcove among the laurels, 
 which abutted on a lower path. In this snug 
 corner they had apparently seated themselves. 
 
 It would have been a jest for the surprise 
 party to have dropped from above some little 
 notification of their neighbourhood. But had 
 any such idea presented itself a single sentence 
 uttered in an unknown voice which the next 
 instant fell distinctly on their ears, would have 
 dispelled it. 
 
 " And sets you free to spoon the little count- 
 ess ? Ha ha ha ! " The words were followed 
 by a harsh, grating laugh and the folds of Hen- 
 rietta's dress were suddenly clutched by May's 
 little hand. Henrietta herself stood petrified ; the 
 feet of both were rooted to the ground. 
 
 " Dolly was always an absolute noodle," pur- 
 sued the same voice, " but you must have man-
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 215 
 
 aged him well, to get housed and fed for three 
 weeks, only at the cost of flirting with his wife." 
 
 " Oh, she's a jolly little thing. But they're 
 both as green as you make 'em." Hazard's 
 voice. May's face changed from red to white. 
 
 " Can turn them both round my little finger, 
 don't you know," proceeded the same speaker. 
 And there was another rude, jarring laugh. 
 
 Sick with disgust, Henrietta would fain have 
 dragged her companion from the spot, suddenly 
 realising the terrible position into which they had 
 been entrapped. 
 
 But May apparently was insensible to her 
 touch, probably also unable to realise that she 
 was in fact, even if not consciously, an eaves- 
 dropper. 
 
 "Come away, come away," muttered Hen- 
 rietta, as imperatively as she dared. The two 
 men had lowered their voices, but were still 
 conversing, and it might be hoped that the re- 
 treating footsteps would, therefore, be as inaudi- 
 ble as the advancing ones had been. 
 
 " Come," said Henrietta, with a relentless 
 grip. But even as she uttered the word a final 
 sentence rang out with cruel distinctness from 
 below.
 
 216 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 " Doesn't know what a ' tame cat ' is ? You 
 bet she does. Anyhow, you'll have taught Lady 
 St. Bees that, if you've taught her nothing else. 
 She may be a common little girl from the 
 wilds " 
 
 The " common little girl from the wilds " al- 
 most flew from the spot. 
 
 " What time shall we start to-morrow ? " 
 The question was put by a pair of quivering 
 lips, which could scarcely articulate an almost 
 soundless whisper, and as the reply was whis- 
 pered back, the trembling Henrietta experienced 
 a sensation of the strangest awe, as though a 
 Higher Hand than her own had taken up the 
 broken thread with which she had sought to 
 draw her friend back to the paths of peace and 
 safety.
 
 CHAPTER XYI. 
 
 THE streets of London just before Christmas 
 time, present an appearance tempting to every 
 feminine mind, and trebly so to new arrivals 
 from the depths of the country, who have long 
 been debarred the dearest delight of their sex. 
 
 When one is young, rich, and generously dis- 
 posed, moreover, the field for extravagance, if ex- 
 travagance it can be called, is boundless. And, 
 although the first two days after her arrival in 
 Portman Square saw the youthful Lady St. Bees 
 still suffering from the shock consequent on the 
 cruel scene narrated in our last chapter, still de- 
 jected, listless, and apt to sit and sigh when she 
 thought herself unperceived, on the third morn- 
 ing there was an improvement a change for the 
 better set in. 
 
 She had gone to bed fatigued, mentally and 
 bodily, after a long day of variety and amuse- 
 ment. She had striven to preserve the outward 
 
 217
 
 218 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 demeanour wliich should do credit to her dignity 
 in Henrietta's eyes, and win for Henrietta the 
 approval of her relations. Henrietta's affec- 
 tionate " good-night " had been bestowed with 
 even more tenderness than usual, and felt to be 
 deserved. 
 
 Then May had had a nice loving little note 
 from Dolly to place under her pillow, and her 
 heart had gone out to Dolly in a way it had 
 perhaps never done before, when she wrote 
 back by the next post. 
 
 After all this she had slept soundly for nine 
 hours at a stretch the tired, dreamless sleep of a 
 healthy child ; and with the morning's awakening 
 there had been something also of a child's elas- 
 ticity of spirit and joyful looking forward to 
 what the day might bring forth. 
 
 JsTot once did she sigh, or pause to think of 
 the mortifying, humiliating past, whilst dressing ; 
 and the gong sounded for breakfast just as she 
 had thrown open her window to inhale the 
 keen frosty breath of a glorious December 
 morning. 
 
 How much was to be done that day ! She 
 was to be fitted on by tailor and dressmaker. 
 She was to have a nice new driving coat,
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 219 
 
 trimmed with sable, Dolly's Christmas pres- 
 ent, and it behoved her to be very particular 
 that Dolly should approve the cut and shape. 
 The sable-bordered cap to match was also to 
 be ordered, and Dolly had bidden her add 
 a muff " to keep her poor little hands warm 
 when driving about over those beastly cold 
 hills." 
 
 She had had a long talk with Dolly the night 
 before leaving home such a talk as she had only 
 had once or twice in her life before. Not be- 
 cause either had ever kept anything back until 
 within the last three weeks, but because so little 
 had occurred in their married lif e of deeper im- 
 port than what could easily be confided at any 
 time, and in almost any place. The stirring of 
 stronger emotions had waited until now. 
 
 But now it would have been not only un- 
 wifely, but impossible, to reserve from Dolly the 
 trouble of her soul. 
 
 Dolly had seen something was amiss directly 
 he returned to the house and found Captain 
 Hazard and his friend alone in the dining-room 
 with luncheon on the table. They had sat down 
 and were hard at work eating and drinking hav- 
 ing received a message from the lady of the
 
 220 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 house to the effect that she had a headache and 
 was sorry to be unable to appear. 
 
 " She has been bothered all the morning with 
 old cats coming talking business," Hazard had 
 explained to his friend on receipt of the mes- 
 sage and neither had troubled themselves fur- 
 ther in the matter. " I daresay she is shy of you, 
 too," Hazard had laughed knowingly in reply to 
 a shaft of banter. "If I had been alone she'd 
 have come down fast enough." 
 
 Then Dolly had come in, and been concerned 
 about the headache, and gone up at once in his 
 kindly way to see if there were anything he 
 could do, and what were to be the plans for the 
 afternoon ? 
 
 With rare self-control May had quietly al- 
 lowed that something was wrong something had 
 vexed her made her cry and brought on, in 
 actual fact, the throbbing head which served as 
 a shield for her seclusion. But she had also peti- 
 tioned as a favour that her husband would ask 
 no more at the present moment. She would tell 
 him all at the close of the day. And would he 
 just do this for her ? Behave to Captain Hazard 
 and the stranger who was with him, as though 
 nothing were the matter, but not be drawn on to
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 221 
 
 extend any further hospitality to the latter, 
 and, if possible, contrive that Captain Haz- 
 ard, too, should quit the castle the following 
 day. 
 
 " Hazard ? Is it about him ? " Dolly had ex- 
 claimed at this. Whereat it had required all 
 May's strength to prevent a fresh flood of tears 
 which would have driven poor Dolly out of his 
 senses, and also, horrible to contemplate, have 
 perhaps betrayed to Hazard, if not the true 
 state of the case, enough to set him on its 
 track. 
 
 The hour which had been passed by May in 
 solitude had taught her the line she must pursue 
 at all costs. "Wherefore at Dolly's start and 
 wrathful exclamation she replied with a calmness 
 that astonished herself, even while her hand un- 
 consciously wrenched the nearest thing it could 
 lay hold of in the effort to let no unguarded look 
 or word escape. 
 
 "Dolly, I would rather not tell you yet, 
 because you are not very good at keeping things 
 to yourself, and it would never do for these men 
 to know Dolly, I can't explain, because that 
 would be telling, but " 
 
 " What has Hazard been saying to you ? " said 
 15
 
 222 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 Dolly bluntly. He felt as though a light were 
 breaking in upon him. 
 
 " To me ! Nothing whatever. I have never 
 seen him since the morning, when we parted 
 quite good friends. And that is why I don't go 
 down now, for I want to be quite good friends 
 again to-night, and keep it up till the last. Then 
 I want him to go away to-morrow, and oh! 
 Dolly, I forgot, may I go too ? Not with him," 
 almost laughing at Dolly's tell-tale countenance of 
 amazement. "No, indeed, but with Henrietta 
 Milner." 
 
 " Oh ! with Henrietta Milner ? " The hus- 
 band's face shortened by half a yard. 
 
 " But I am keeping you here talking, and you 
 want your luncheon, poor boy." 
 
 May laid her hand on his arm in her old 
 tender way. 
 
 " And you must go down to those men, or 
 
 they will be wondering Dolly, who is he ? 
 
 And what is he doing here ? " 
 
 " By Jove, I don't know," said Dolly, good- 
 humouredly. " All I know is that about an hour 
 ago, when he appeared at the river side, Hazard 
 produced another fellow of his own cut, whom he 
 had apparently picked up in the village, or some-
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 223 
 
 where I really didn't listen to what was said 
 but told them to go in to luncheon, and I'd fol- 
 low. I took it for granted it would be all right. 
 And if you're going to start questions, I don't see 
 my luncheon getting any nearer. Well, what's 
 to be done ? Am I to go down and be just as 
 usual ? " 
 
 " Yes yes ; only you needn't be too At 
 
 least No, you mustn't make any change. 
 
 And to-night, when it's all over, I'll tell you what 
 it was " 
 
 " You are sure he hasn't been impertinent to 
 you ? Mind you, I was just beginning to think 
 he was growing a bit too easy." 
 
 Then a maid had knocked at the door. And 
 the interview was over. 
 
 Dolly, however, had been too curious to wait 
 till night for it to be continued, and having got 
 rid of his companions on some plausible pretext, 
 had hurried upstairs again as soon as he had seen 
 them off from the front door. He had turned a 
 resolutely deaf ear to the hints dropped by Mr. 
 St. Martin (one of the original party on the 
 Swiss mountain, who had seen no reason why he 
 should not find Redditch Castle as good a 
 " billet " as his- friend had done) and assumed an
 
 224 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 air so well befitting a dignified host and master of 
 the lordly domain, that both adventurers had been 
 instinctively subdued, not to say cowed thereby. 
 
 They shared an uncomfortable suspicion of 
 having been somehow outwitted by the Lord St. 
 Bees who had thus suddenly developed before 
 their very eyes. They could not complain of 
 him, but neither could they be familiar with him. 
 They were driven off in state with every atten- 
 tion paid to their comfort; and he was free to 
 bound upstairs again to May's bedroom. 
 
 But though the husband and wife had thus 
 one long, uninterrupted hour, the fullest con- 
 fidences, and the most perfect understanding had 
 been reserved, as we know, till there was no 
 further need of any restraint being practised 
 before the offender, when May need no longer 
 catch herself up with, " Oh, Dolly, I don't want 
 to put you more against him," and admonish alike 
 Dolly and herself with the reminder, " Dolly, if 
 we make enemies of this man there is no knowing 
 what he will say." 
 
 The evening had passed in the exercise of 
 this wonderful new self-restraint, May, woman- 
 like, distancing her husband in the art. The 
 impromptu journey to London had been cheer-
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 225 
 
 fully discussed in all its bearings ; Lady St. Bees 
 had dilated on the goodness of the Milners in 
 planning such a merry trip, and on the value of 
 having their assistance in her shopping expedi- 
 tions. She had also spoken gleefully with a 
 little exaggerated glee, but it was difficult to be 
 precisely natural of going to theatres and con- 
 certs, regretting with a little air that there was 
 no opera at that season of the year, and that her 
 presentation at Court must wait until February. 
 By that time, however, Dolly would take his seat 
 in the House of Lords, and the family mansion in 
 Hill Street would be ready for their reception, 
 which was charming to look forward to. 
 
 As it was, Henrietta said that Mrs. Courtenay 
 had a lively house, where there was plenty going 
 on and Mrs. Courtenay was quite the right per- 
 son to go about with. She knew everybody, and 
 stood high in the estimation of the best people. 
 The " best people " was uttered with an emphasis 
 intended to convey that Lady St. Bees was already 
 learning to appreciate such distinctions. 
 
 Even Hazard had been baffled and discon- 
 certed by the stream of prattle, and the well- 
 feigned exhilaration of his hostess ; while Dolly 
 had backed her up in the best way he could, by
 
 226 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 affecting to laugh at the whole thing as a frivo- 
 lous arrangement which had caught her fancy, and 
 to which he must perforce submit. 
 
 " As she has set her heart upon it, I must give 
 in like a dutiful husband eh, Hazard?" He 
 shook his head in rueful deprecation. " And to 
 tell the truth, it won't be a bad opportunity for 
 me to go and see that place of mine in York- 
 shire, which I have not been near yet, and where 
 they've been crying out for me to come ever since 
 I succeeded. It's a bore; but Soames tells me 
 that it ought to be done, and that they are rather 
 indignant I have not been there before. So I 
 sent a wire this afternoon. And if you won't 
 think it rather short notice to be off with us in 
 the morning," addressing his guest pointedly, 
 " we can all make an early start together ; you 
 and I in the dog cart, and Lady St. Bees and her 
 maid in the close carriage." 
 
 He had been used to call his wife by her name 
 to Hazard, but he would never use this familiarity 
 again. 
 
 Whatever Hazard suspected he may have 
 thought that his introduction of a friend upon 
 the scene had been resented as an encroachment 
 it could not but be plain to him that from some
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 227 
 
 cause or other his reign was at an end ; and as 
 May retired early to rest and did not appear the 
 next day until the carriages were actually at the 
 door, when she laughingly alleged she had no 
 time for anything or anybody and even at the 
 station was all in a bustle, and surrounded by 
 the Milners he had no opportunity for the soft 
 little note of lamentation and tender farewell, 
 which he had trusted might provoke response if 
 conveyed unseen and unheard. 
 
 He tried to think that his pretty little friend 
 was acting a part, and could he but take her 
 unawares when she could give supervision the 
 slip ? but he was foiled in the attempt. To 
 the very last volubility and smiles were kept up, 
 and a gay farewell was waved to him and Dolly, 
 left standing side by side upon the platform, as 
 the London train moved off. He did not even 
 have his share of the last glance, which was 
 directed frankly and fully towards May's hus- 
 band. 
 
 It had all been well done. And then had 
 come the revulsion on the part of the poor young 
 nature so cruelly wounded ; and May had thrown 
 herself back in the corner of the carriage, and 
 scarce spoken a word for many hours thereafter.
 
 228 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 One thing she had felt thankful for, that 
 Henrietta understood this silence. There had 
 been no need to keep on the mask directly the 
 station platform was left behind. The two other 
 young ladies of the party were instructed that 
 Lady St. Bees was not feeling very well, and was 
 to be kept quiet. Henrietta had smilingly called 
 herself May's nurse, and so long as others were 
 present silence was guaranteed in the compart- 
 ment. 
 
 Indeed, the wise Henrietta had forborne to 
 disturb the pensive reverie into which her fellow- 
 traveller had sunk by more than an occasional 
 inquiry or comment, even when the two were 
 alone. May had been encouraged to doze when 
 not disposed to amuse herself with light reading, 
 and she had felt this thoughtful consideration to 
 the depths of her soul ; her gratitude to Henrietta 
 was in itself an instigation to further effort 
 when effort was required. 
 
 JBut it was not until the third day after the 
 girl's arrival in Portman Square that, as has been 
 said, mental convalescence set in on the part of 
 Miss Milner's patient. 
 
 Once begun, however, there was no going 
 back; no single hour had its drawback. "Why
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 229 
 
 should not May be happy again ? She had been 
 punished for her folly ; and though the folly had 
 been sufficient to make her still wince at the rec- 
 ollection, and fervently trust it might be long 
 ere she set eyes on Hazard's face again, there was 
 the comfort of reflecting that Dolly knew all that 
 had ever happened, and had only called her " a 
 silly little goose " at the end. 
 
 Dolly had, moreover, pointed out that Hazard 
 had nothing to show in proof of his assertions, 
 should he be so unwise as to boast of his flirtation. 
 " Not so much as a scrap of paper," he had re- 
 peated triumphantly, having been assured of the 
 fact. " And when a fellow has nothing but his 
 own word for it, and we give no countenance to 
 anything he says, the odds are he won't get be- 
 lieved at all." 
 
 "And even Mr. St. Martin won't give him 
 credit for all he said, will he ? " murmured May. 
 " When you were cold to him, and I wouldn't 
 come down, and he was turned out the next 
 day ? " and she took comfort in the recollec- 
 tion. 
 
 Comfort once begun, throve apace. 
 
 And then there was a perfect hubbub of 
 bright, busy doings, morning, noon, and night, in
 
 230 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 Mrs. Courtenay's house, of which Mrs. Courte- 
 nay herself was the head and front. 
 
 Henrietta's aunt was as unlike her mother as 
 it was possible for two sisters to be. On first 
 acquaintance, Lady Milner had looked May over 
 with a little distant air of formal politeness, and 
 made conversation with her in the style due to a 
 lady of position and importance; whereas Mrs. 
 Courtenay begged to be allowed to call the 
 young wife by her Christian name almost directly 
 they began to talk petted her, laughed at her, 
 and kissed her when she went to bed. 
 
 The next day saw May on a footstool by the 
 elder lady's chair talking about her old home and 
 her first meeting with Dolly Feveril. A long 
 confab had wound up with 
 
 "I wish you would tell me when I do any- 
 thing wrong ; " and on the third day she was told 
 of something. It delighted her. She had not 
 had a scolding, she said, since she was married. 
 
 A few days later Henrietta wrote to her 
 mother that May was a perfect darling, and that 
 everyone was enchanted with her. 
 
 " She takes such interest in getting together 
 her bundles of things for the people at Red- 
 ditch," wrote the kind girl, scribbling as fast as
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 231 
 
 pen could go. " Yesterday she was hours select- 
 ing the prize books and pictures for the schools, 
 and the dolls and sweetmeats for the Children's 
 Hospital. She owned she did not care so much 
 for the old people's tobacco ; but still she laid in 
 great stores, and said Dolly had told her what to 
 get, and that he would know whether he was 
 right or not. We are to look out the things for 
 our Christmas tree this morning ; and May means 
 to have one too, and dinners, and all sorts of 
 things. She was delighted with their house in 
 Hill Street, and, aunt Laura says, behaved so 
 prettily to the old butler and his wife who are 
 taking care of it. She asks aunt Laura about 
 everything. And in a few days, when she has got 
 her new coat and hat, she is to be taken to 
 Brown's Hotel, where some of the St. Bees' rela- 
 tions are stopping, to be presented to them. 
 Aunt Laura suggested that she should write be- 
 fore hand, and offer to call. She wrote such a 
 funny little note, but when she saw by our faces 
 for she brought it to be looked over that it 
 would hardly do to send, she said at once, * I was 
 afraid that I did not know what ought be said, 
 and I nearly asked to be told. But I thought I 
 had better just try, as I did not like to trouble
 
 232 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 anyone.' Aunt Laura simply took her in her 
 arms! And they went off together, and May 
 says she means to learn how to do this like all the 
 rest. And, mamma, I do think she wishes to be a 
 good woman as well as a great lady. I don't like 
 to repeat what she says about this nor to tell you 
 what I notice for myself, because it would hardly 
 be fair on such a subject. But I feel so happy 
 about dear May, and so sure that whatever mis- 
 takes she has made, or may still make, she is 
 really and truly seeking to do right in great 
 things as well as small. Mamma, if I might dare 
 to prophesy, and you would not call me too im- 
 pulsive a second time, I should predict that the 
 day will come when we shall all be proud of the 
 new Countess of St. Bees."
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 "READY for the call, May? Well, you do 
 look nice ! Doesn't she look nice, aunt Laura ? 
 And isn't that coat well cut ? And the hat be- 
 coming ? I wish Lord St. Bees were here " 
 
 The door opened and Lord St. Bees entered ! It 
 was like a scene in the " Count of Monte Christo." 
 
 What was the meaning of it ? What had 
 brought him ? Where had he come from ? 
 
 With a cry of unfeigned delight, and unmind- 
 ful of all beside, the young wife flung herself on 
 her husband's breast, where Dolly's arms enclosed 
 her fast while Mrs. Courtenay and her niece dis- 
 creetly looked the other way, after one smiling 
 glance into each other's eyes. 
 
 In a few moments, however, the new-comer 
 was ready with his explanation, one entirely satis- 
 factory to all present. 
 
 " I simply couldn't help coming," said Dolly, 
 frankly. "I hope, Mrs. Courtenay, you won't
 
 234 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 laugh at me too much. But the fact is, it all 
 sounded so jolly up here, and my little wife," 
 keeping hold of her hand as he spoke, " sent me 
 such accounts of your kindness, and the fun she 
 was having, that I couldn't resist taking the next 
 train to London. I have got a room at the 
 'Langham' along here, you know" pointing 
 with his thumb " and and I hope it isn't too 
 much to ask if I may go about with you some- 
 times ? " 
 
 " Oh, Dolly dear, it will be heavenly ! " Then 
 May let go her husband's hand, and ran up to her 
 hostess. 
 
 " You don't mind," cried she, all gleeful con- 
 fidence. "You are pleased to see him, I 
 know." 
 
 "Indeed I am. More than pleased. De- 
 lighted. We are all delighted." And there was 
 welcome not only in the voice, but on the face of 
 the speaker, whilst Henrietta looked little less 
 radiant than May herself ; and any further apolo- 
 gies that might have been meditated on Dolly's 
 part were felt to be not only unnecessary, but ab- 
 surdly superfluous. 
 
 He was given to understand that he had dis- 
 tinguished himself, performed a meritorious ac-
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 235 
 
 tion, and flattered, in the most ingenious manner, 
 everybody's vanity. 
 
 Seated in the midst of the admiring little 
 group, he had again to recount the details of his 
 sudden resolution, and the events of his journey 
 and arrival at the station and hotel. 
 
 Then Mrs. Courtenay had to regret a thou- 
 sand times that he could not be accommodated in 
 her house, where workmen were engaged in sun- 
 dry rooms, and he had to assure her that he had 
 never for a moment contemplated such an ar- 
 rangement. And it was shown how he could still 
 take part in everything that went on in Portland 
 Place, being only at the end of the street ; and 
 altogether one would have thought it was a near 
 and dear relation of the kind hostess whose joyful 
 advent was the source of the hubbub and the 
 occasion of the self-gratulations on this and that 
 place's being vacant which could now be filled, 
 and which it almost seemed had been reserved 
 for such a contingency. 
 
 " And now, May, get up and show yourself." 
 At last came the pause which Henrietta was wait- 
 ing for. 
 
 May was looking her best; and Dolly, who 
 admired his wife in everything she wore, must
 
 236 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 still be made to observe that she was suited to 
 perfection by the rich furs and handsome cloth, 
 and that in future the little odd-come-short skirts 
 and jackets, for the most part ready-made, which 
 had formed Lady St. Bees' only wardrobe hither- 
 to, might give place to garments more suitable to 
 her rank. 
 
 Henrietta did not know that in his own 
 mind May's husband had actually forestalled this 
 opinion. 
 
 He had been pondering over the matter dur- 
 ing hours of solitary travelling. 
 
 " If she didn't look so like a little school- 
 girl, I fancy it would be a good thing," he had 
 told himself among other reflections. 
 
 And certainly May looked anything but like a 
 schoolgirl now. 
 
 Accordingly, Lord St. Bees astonished them 
 all by his next remark. Had they taken evening 
 as well as morning dress into consideration ? He 
 intended to have hum ha some sort of a 
 Christmas gathering at Redditch. And it would 
 consist of people who would be accustomed to 
 wearing full evening attire. He would tell them 
 all about it if they would allow him for May's 
 eyes were opening large and wide, whilst the
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 237 
 
 other ladies were all sympathetic interest and 
 expectancy. 
 
 " Oh, yes, there is plenty of time," said Mrs. 
 Courtenay, Dolly having murmured something 
 about not keeping the party indoors. " None of 
 us are going out for another hour. May dressed 
 beforehand, because her things have only just 
 come, and we were to look her over and see if 
 any alterations were required. My dear," ad- 
 dressing her young friend with a charming smile, 
 " if you will forgive an old woman for paying you 
 a very blunt compliment, I see nothing that could 
 be altered for the better, either in these clothes or 
 their wearer." 
 
 After that it was easy for Dolly to unfold his 
 heart, big with new purposes and resolutions, 
 the outcome of which was that Redditch Castle 
 should be looked upon in the light that cer- 
 tain other stately homes he knew of were re- 
 garded. 
 
 It was not alone to be his home and May's ; it 
 ought to be the central point, the rallying place, 
 as occasion offered, for all to whom the tie of 
 blood should give a claim. Kith and kin should 
 be recognised as such, and brought together with- 
 in the walls of the old domain from time to time 
 16
 
 238 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 should be encouraged to proceed thither when re- 
 turning from distant lands. Schoolboys should 
 be invited for their holidays. Old people should 
 find a niche in the great stone pile where they 
 could peacefully stay on and on, feeling them- 
 selves in no one's way. 
 
 There was room for all, Dolly said. And he 
 remembered how he used to feel when he thought 
 of the sunny woodlands and shining river, and 
 how he would have enjoyed them, and asked noth- 
 ing of anybody but just to be allowed a little 
 nook to sleep in among the innumerable bed- 
 rooms, and a seat at the stately board where there 
 was always so much empty space. 
 
 " Don't you think, ma'am ? " the speaker final- 
 ly appealed to Mrs. Courtenay, whose animated 
 countenance betrayed her approval and sympathy 
 " don't you think that when a man finds himself 
 at the head of a family like ours, and comes in for 
 all the good of it, he ought to try what he can do 
 for the other less lucky members, and let them 
 have their share as much as he can ? What I 
 mean is," pursued Dolly, rather red in the face 
 with the effort to be clear and sensible, " that it 
 isn't as if we had made our own position, built 
 our own house with our own money (of course
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 239 
 
 even then one wouldn't wish to be selfish) still it 
 would be different ; in that case one might do as 
 one chose about entertaining, and showing hospi- 
 tality ; but with us, with May and me, I am sure I 
 don't know how to explain," he broke off short. 
 " But you understand, don't you ? And Miss Mil- 
 ner does too ? " turning to Henrietta. 
 
 " I not only understand, but I agree with you 
 from the bottom of my heart, Lord St. Bees. 
 And I can answer for my niece that she does the 
 same." Mrs. Courtenay rose from her chair as she 
 spoke. " I cannot wait another moment, I am so 
 impatient to introduce you both to poor dear old 
 Lady Jane and Lady Charlotte, the late Lord St. 
 Bees' aunts, still alive, though between seventy 
 and eighty. Never have they ceased to bemoan 
 the glories of the past, the days when they were to 
 be found at Redditch Castle as regularly as the 
 partridges in September, or the hollyberries at 
 Christmas. That was years ago; for the last 
 Lord St. Bees extended but few invitations, and 
 cared nothing whatever, as you know," to Dolly, 
 " for the claims of relationship." 
 
 " Dear me, ma'am, why, I never even heard of 
 them ! " Dolly rose also in the excitement of the 
 moment; whilst Henrietta and May simultane-
 
 240 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 ously stood on their feet likewise, and looked as 
 though a grand discovery had been made. 
 
 " Why, this is splendid ! " continued the young 
 man ; " those are the very people I want to begin 
 upon. I do hope they are poor, and all that," he 
 added, earnestly. 
 
 "Not exactly poor." Mrs. Courtenay could 
 not repress a smile. " But very lonely, and lead- 
 ing a very dull, monotonous existence ; such a 
 contrast to their gay, bright youth even to the 
 comfortable dignity of their middle age. They 
 are now mere nobodies " 
 
 " That'll do," said Dolly, nodding. " We'll 
 make ' somebodies ' of them again. We'll give 
 them the best rooms, and a good time whenever 
 they come to the old place." 
 
 "The place they were born in," said Mrs. 
 Courtenay, softly. " The place round which all 
 happy memories linger. The home fraught with 
 all the associations of childhood. They will tell 
 you tales of every nook and corner. They will 
 find old people among the tenantry and cottagers 
 who remember them as little girls, perhaps some 
 who taught them to ride, or to skate 
 
 " They'll know old Hannah," struck in Dolly, 
 rubbing his hands. "And I daresay lots of
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 241 
 
 others. I see it all beginning. "Well, Mrs. Court- 
 enay, who next ? Who is to be second on the 
 list ? Do go on. You know some more, don't 
 you ? I do hope you know some more." 
 
 " I know of some more," replied the lady, smil- 
 ing afresh. " And I daresay that Lady Jane and 
 Lady Charlotte will be able to supply the full de- 
 mand. There are the Gayfords," she hesitated. 
 "To be sure they are only connections; Mrs. 
 Gayford was a second cousin. Perhaps you 
 might think that rather far off ? " 
 
 "I was only a second cousin myself," said 
 Dolly. " But though I was thought far off by 
 the late lord, and I daresay by all in the main 
 line, they seemed near enough to me from my 
 point of view. I daresay Mrs. Gayford still 
 thinks of herself as a St. Bees." 
 
 " Oh, she does. Very much as a St. Bees. 
 Poor thing, it is all she has to cling to ; a widow 
 with a large family 
 
 " Boys ? " demanded Dolly, eagerly. 
 
 " Boys in abundance. Some here, some there. 
 All over the world. And I am told doing very 
 well, in spite of the struggle it was to bring them 
 up. But really I hardly know enough of Mrs. 
 Gayford and her family to judge whether they
 
 242 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 would be desirable people to produce as connec- 
 tions " 
 
 " "We'll risk it," Dolly looked cheerfully at his 
 wife. " We are willing to risk it, eh, May ? So 
 long as they are respectable," with an after- 
 thought. 
 
 " Absolutely respectable, I assure you ; and 
 Mrs. Gayford is a refined, delicate woman, with 
 an unmistakable air of breeding in spite of the 
 poverty of her surroundings. I know Lady Jane 
 and Lady Charlotte keep up with her, and have 
 always considered that she was to be recognised 
 as one of the family. Her husband is dead, but 
 whilst he lived he was a very hard-working and 
 much respected clergyman. He had a poor par- 
 ish in the west of England." 
 
 " In the west of England ? Oh ! " said Dolly. 
 " How are we to get at them ? Have you the ad- 
 dress ? " 
 
 " I was about to say that since his death, which 
 occurred about four years ago, his widow and 
 children have lived at Hampstead, in a small 
 semi-detached villa. I don't know exactly where, 
 because I only meet them at the old ladies' in 
 Montagu Square. But no doubt they will be able 
 to furnish you with all particulars."
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 243 
 
 " And we can go to them at once, can't we ? " 
 cried May, getting in her word at last. " That 
 will make quite a round of relations to do this 
 afternoon, won't it ? You know, Dolly, I told 
 you I was to be taken to see Lady Frensham any- 
 way. He knows who Lady Frensham is," turning 
 to the others. " Mr. Rathbone often spoke to us of 
 Lady Frensham ; because she used to come down 
 and entertain for her brother whenever he did 
 have people, though that wasn't very often. Mr. 
 Rathbone used to speak of Lady Frensham with 
 the greatest awe, and I believe she was the one 
 who who said that about us you know, Dol- 
 ly ?" 
 
 " I know, I know," said Dolly, a slight frown 
 contracting his open brow. " It wasn't very nice 
 what she said. And it wasn't true, either. My 
 father never did what she declared, but I daresay 
 she knew no better. Anyhow we've got to make 
 the peace now," he summed up, valiantly, " and 
 though I don't suppose she will come to Redditch, 
 she'll have to be asked." 
 
 "Why should you suppose she will not 
 come ? " Mrs. Courtenay's eyes twinkled. 
 
 " If we are the couple of vulgar upstarts she 
 holds us to be, ma'am, Lady Frensham would
 
 244 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 scarcely care to visit at our house," said Lord St. 
 Bees with dignity. 
 
 Mrs. Courtenay looked him quietly in the 
 face. 
 
 " That is as it may be. I should prefer not to 
 offer an opinion. The world is a very odd world ; 
 and when you have seen as much of it as I have 
 you will not be surprised at anything it does. 
 But I gather that Lady Frensham, when she per- 
 mitted herself to make free with your names, in a 
 moment probably of supreme irritation (make 
 allowance, if you can, for the chagrin of a woman 
 who saw herself suddenly cut off from the main 
 stem of a great family tree, and reduced to a very 
 inferior position as regarded it) I understand 
 that she had never set eyes on the successor to the 
 title, or his wife ? Is not that so ? " 
 
 " "Not since I was a very little boy ," said 
 Dolly, reflecting. " And she couldn't bear me 
 then. Cyril was her favourite ; she petted him, 
 and used to take him out driving with her, and 
 make him presents. She didn't even like Tom, 
 who was the nicest, kindest-hearted fellow im- 
 aginable the only one who was ever good to me 
 and whom I should have thought no one could 
 have helped liking. But I fancy Lady Frensham
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 245 
 
 was always afraid of Cyril's dying, and Tom's 
 coming in for the peerage. As for me, I suppose 
 she never dreamed of my becoming anything to 
 anybody, and saw no reason why I should be 
 taken notice of at all. I am sure I never put 
 myself in her way ; for I used to fly if I heard 
 the rustle of her gown. Her gowns always 
 
 rustled " 
 
 "They do now," laughed Mrs. Courtenay. 
 " Lady Frensham never wears any but the very 
 richest silks; and is altogether far too grand a 
 personage for anyone to care very much for her 
 society. When she goes to see her poor old 
 aunts, they are all in a flutter till the call has 
 been made, and the carriage has rolled away from 
 the door. But all the same, Lady Frensham has 
 something in common with you," addressing 
 Lord St. Bees more particularly ; " she is very 
 great upon the claims of kinship, and would not 
 neglect her duty hi that respect for the world. I 
 believe one of the things she felt the most about 
 your succession (at least so much reached me 
 and from my knowledge of the speaker I am 
 inclined to believe it was the truth) one of her 
 chief grounds for lamentation, was that from 
 your being so distant by birth from the mam
 
 246 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 stem of the family you would care nothing about 
 its various branches, and hardly recognise 
 they existed. After what has passed just now, 
 Lord St. Bees, I think, to cut short the matter, 
 you and your wife will not meet with a very flat 
 refusal should you invite Lady Frensham to join 
 your Christmas gathering at Redditch Castle." 
 
 " As for their being a ' couple of vulgar up- 
 starts,' " she told herself indignantly, " it only 
 needs one meeting to dissipate that idea. Lady 
 Frensham will not commit herself, but she will 
 secretly be as much surprised as ever she was in 
 her life by the appearance and deportment of 
 these two dear people. Lord St. Bees is simply 
 charming so humble, natural, and unaffected 
 with that little touch of dignity, too, which sets so 
 well upon him ! And though little May has not 
 the same strain of blue blood to fall back upon, 
 and might possibly have developed into rather a 
 commonplace woman had she gone through life 
 in a commonplace groove, she has been caught 
 early, and the romance of her position, and the 
 lucky friendship of such a girl as Henrietta, have 
 done wonders for her already, and will do still 
 more. May is the sort of person to take the 
 colour of those with whom she associates. Pres-
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 247 
 
 ently it will grow to be her own colour, and I 
 should not be at all surprised to see her develop 
 into all that Henrietta predicts. For the present 
 it will be quite enough for Lady Frensham that 
 she is pretty and pleasant ; and if the impressions 
 my sister received of her on first acquaintance 
 were true, her manners even during the few 
 months that have passed since her change of 
 fortune must have improved beyond recognition. 
 I may not be so particular as some folks, but / 
 can find nothing amiss."
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 A LADY was sitting at her desk in one of the 
 private rooms of a London hotel. 
 
 Lady Frensham never went to her own house 
 when up for a brief shopping expedition before 
 Christmas. She told people she was "on the 
 rush " from morning till night ; and nobody was 
 to come and see her, for positively she had not a 
 moment to spare even for her dearest friends. 
 
 Her ladyship was a person to be obeyed per- 
 haps obedience did not cost much in the present 
 instance but a certain little note which had 
 arrived a few days before had been an exception 
 to the rule. Lady Frensham had arched her eye- 
 brows over the note, and turned it round and 
 round several times between her fingers, before 
 taking up her pen to reply. 
 
 But in the end she had granted the request 
 therein contained ; had named a day and hour 
 when she would be at home to receive Mrs. 
 
 343
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 249 
 
 Courtenaj and Lady St. Bees; and, being a 
 woman - of energy, was utilising the moments 
 thus wrung from the clutches of dressmakers and 
 milliners, in despatching such business as could 
 be done by post. 
 
 Had curiosity not entered into the question 
 she would probably have excused herself even to 
 her expected visitors. But she was curious 
 undeniably curious to see what the girl was 
 like whom that wretched Dolly Feveril had 
 picked up, no one knew where, and set' over the 
 heads of all the feminine members of the St. 
 Bees family. 
 
 Albeit she herself had married a man of 
 sufficient rank to oblige her to merge her own 
 courtesy title in his actual one, Lady Frensham 
 still thought of herself as a St. Bees, and would 
 so think to her dying day. Moreover, she was 
 now a widow and a dowager ; she had no chil- 
 dren, and the reigning Frenshams were only one 
 degree nearer to her than the reigning heads of 
 the other house. 
 
 But at least as she was wont to say the 
 Frenshams were aU right whereas Dolly and 
 his wife were by no means " all right," as she 
 had been at the pains to discover by means of
 
 250 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 more secret enquiries than she would have cared 
 to own. 
 
 Even Mr. Rathbone's subsequent modification 
 of his early impressions had failed to soften an 
 iota of their blackness, and the lady's lip had 
 curled contemptuously as she perceived that, as 
 time went on, he grew anxious, after a fashion, 
 to undo what he had said. 
 
 It was, she contended, a matter of course that 
 the old man would be won over; it would re- 
 quire but a modicum of civility a few hares 
 and pheasants and some respectable entries in 
 his subscription lists to reconcile the parson of 
 the place to any new lord of the manor but for 
 herself ? The proud Lady Frensham straight- 
 ened her back, and Mr. Rathbone might have 
 spared his endeavours. 
 
 " He told the truth at first, when he had noth- 
 ing to gain and nothing to lose by it. What he 
 says now is not worth the paper it is written 
 upon ! " was her dictum, based upon firm convic- 
 tion. 
 
 It was in this frame of mind that the Dowager 
 Lady Frensham awaited her expected callers. 
 
 "Really too bad to take you by storm, and 
 force an entrance ! " To May's surprise the Mrs.
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 251 
 
 Courtenay, who preceded her into the hotel sit- 
 ting-room with these words on her lips was 
 another Mrs. Courtenay from her frank, natural 
 hostess in Portland Place. , Lady Frensham was 
 accosted as one woman of fashion greets another, 
 with that air of smiling indifference which passes 
 current in a certain set, and is the recognised 
 substitute for any warmth of feeling. It seemed 
 to suit Lady Frensham, and the two shook hands, 
 as they would have alleged, cordially. 
 
 " I should never have dared to break through 
 your well-known edict," proceeded Mrs. Courtenay, 
 gaily, "but here are my two apologies two, you 
 see for Lord St. Bees looked in upon us an hour 
 ago, and we really could not let him off making 
 one of our party," and she murmured herself on 
 to a sofa. 
 
 Now if only Dolly would follow her lead? 
 Look as though he thought the whole thing a 
 bore, and his coming a condescension. Give his 
 haughty relative to understand that he had con- 
 ceded the civility because recognising it to be her 
 due, but plainly exhibit the restiveness of the 
 masculine mind under control, in addition to the 
 independence of a personage conferring a favour 
 by his presence.
 
 252 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 That was the sort of thing to go down with a 
 woman of Lady Frensham's stamp. 
 
 And having, as she considered, given a direct 
 hint as to the line best pursued, the excellent 
 creature was now prepared to efface herself and 
 see her proteges shine. 
 
 Shine they did but in a manner little antici- 
 pated. They had been prepared, and warned, 
 and coached until the two in private had come to 
 their own resolution. 
 
 "If she doesn't like us, we can't help it," 
 Dolly had exclaimed at last, " but I am quite sure 
 of one thing, I shall forget every single one of 
 Mrs. Courtenay's cautions the moment I am face 
 to face with that hooked nose and those hawk- 
 eyes, and hear the rustle of that gown so I am 
 just going to worry through with it in my own 
 way." 
 
 And accordingly, in response to the formal 
 " It is a very long time since we met," into which 
 there insensibly slid some of the deference due to 
 his new position, as Lady Frensham seated her- 
 self and looked toward a chair near, which Dolly 
 felt he was thus invited to take in response, we 
 say, to this opening remark, he made what to 
 every one acquainted with the awe-inspiring dow-
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 253 
 
 ager would have been a most unusual reply. He 
 paid her a compliment. 
 
 " I can scarcely believe how long it is when I 
 look at you." 
 
 The words were uttered with such evident sin- 
 cerity were so obviously the outcome of genuine 
 conviction on the speaker's part that no courtier 
 could have hit upon a phrase more certain to 
 score a point. 
 
 Lady Frensham would have alleged that she 
 was absolutely indifferent as to whether she 
 looked, or felt, or was regarded as old. The pos- 
 session of a fine person and excellent health did 
 actually go far toward making such a matter of 
 slight importance in her estimation. She had no 
 struggle either to look well or to feel so, and her 
 attention was free to fasten itself on other points. 
 
 But she would have been less than a woman 
 had she not liked to meet Dolly's straightforward 
 gaze, and hear the words which burst, as it were 
 involuntarily, from his lips. 
 
 Dolly spoke as though he were speaking to 
 himself, gazing into the past, even while his eyes 
 were fixed upon the stately form and face before 
 him. A blush that had not found its way to 
 
 Lady Frensham' s cheek for years suffused it now. 
 17
 
 254 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 " Ay ? really ? Upon my word, you are very 
 gallant, Lord St. Bees." Then the elder lady re- 
 covered herself, and continued with unwonted 
 graciousness, " You were such a very little boy 
 when you used to come to Redditch, that I dare- 
 say you forget all about it and me, too. You 
 are very good to think me unaltered, but " 
 
 " But I am sure of it," persisted Dolly, still 
 gazing steadfastly. " I recollect you perfectly. 
 I have never forgotten you for a moment. And 
 it is like yesterday that I saw you stepping 
 through the garden door, and walking among the 
 flower-beds, with a pink satin dress on, and jewels 
 that flashed in the sun. You were dressed for 
 dinner, and there was a splendid sunset, and 
 you had come out to gather flowers to wear in 
 your hair. And I was sitting on the steps of the 
 old stone dial you didn't see me, but I watched 
 you all the time. And if you were to put on a 
 pink satin dress now " here a happy thought oc- 
 curred to the speaker " and come to Redditch, 
 and gather flowers upon the terrace when the sun 
 is setting ! Won't you come, Lady Frensham ? " 
 exclaimed Dolly with sudden earnestness. " I 
 wish you would ! That is what we came for to- 
 day. We came to say this, May and I."
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 255 
 
 He had not meant to say it so soon. It had 
 been agreed that the invitation should not be 
 issued until the conclusion of the call, when, if all 
 had gone well, and something of a pleasant under- 
 standing had been arrived at between the parties, 
 the hope that Lady Frensham would visit again 
 the home of her childhood could be properly ex- 
 pressed by husband and wife alike, and might be 
 graciously received. 
 
 But the sight of Lady Frensham herself had, 
 as Dolly had foreseen, been too much for his 
 newly acquired composure. He could not re- 
 member what had been arranged for him to say 
 or do ; he could only act spontaneously, in ac- 
 cordance with the promptings of his own honest 
 heart. 
 
 But whilst Mrs. Courtenay sat breathless, and 
 May, beneath her furs, shrank into herself, lest 
 the impulsive outburst should be coldly met, and 
 lest Dolly, who was sensitive and easily repulsed, 
 should draw back into his shell and feel, as he 
 had felt before, that this awe-inspiring dame, 
 whose dread presence had kindled at once his 
 childish admiration and fear, had for him, as ever, 
 no emotions of interest or of kindliness whilst 
 these two, as we say, were trembling on Dolly's
 
 256 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 behalf, lie had in reality achieved a feat only once 
 or twice before attempted in Lady Frensham's 
 lifetime. He had touched her ladyship's heart. 
 
 " Well, we have had the most amusing, not to 
 say the most extraordinary experiences ! " cried 
 Mrs. Courtenay, on re-entering her carriage for 
 the last time, and giving the order " Home " to 
 the footman, just two hours later. " "We have done 
 the best afternoon's work I, at anyrate, can ever 
 remember doing. I am but an idle sort of busy- 
 body, and it gives me quite a ridiculous amount 
 of pleasure to poke my finger into my neighbours' 
 affairs." 
 
 " If you always poke like this," the little lady 
 by her side gave an enthusiastic squeeze to the 
 arm next her, " I should think everyone you 
 know wants to have a stir of that finger." 
 
 "Yes, indeed," said Dolly, gratefully, from 
 the opposite seat. " Upon my word, Mrs. Courte- 
 nay, May and I are ever so much obliged to 
 you. You have done for us what no one else 
 could " 
 
 "My dears, you did it for your own two 
 selves." But Mrs. Courtenay bent over her muff 
 still more radiant than before. " I only acted as
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 957 
 
 a sort of sign-post ' This way, Lord and Lady St. 
 Bees this way to the relations.' Directly you 
 were brought into touch with the relations, noth- 
 ing more was needed. Like Julius Caesar, you 
 went you saw you conquered. Now let me 
 confess the truth; I was terribly nervous about 
 this interview with Lady Frensham. Lady Fren- 
 sham is a person with whom I have not a senti- 
 ment, scarcely an idea, in common. She is but 
 no, there is no need to tell you what she is. 
 Enough that I have known her as well as most 
 people as well as is possible to know anyone in 
 London with whom one has no sympathy, no de- 
 sire for intercourse or intimacy for twenty 
 years or more, and I have never seen her emit 
 a single spark of human feeling until to-day ! 
 My expectation was that, with the worldly wis- 
 dom for which your relative is proverbial, she 
 would perceive at a glance that it was for her 
 advantage to meet any overtures on your part 
 with sufficient alacrity to ensure a mutual good 
 understanding for the future. That I foresaw, 
 as anyone with the very slightest insight into 
 Lady Frensham's character could have foreseen. 
 It needed no perspicuity on my part to promise 
 you an easy time so far as it went. But what I
 
 258 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 was not prepared for and what you, Lord St. 
 Bees, effected by a coup de main of the most 
 unparalleled may we call it audacity ? was the 
 dive below the surface which we all took head- 
 long (for I, too, came in for my share of the 
 plunge) within five minutes of our sitting down ! 
 My dear Lord St. Bees, it was masterly, that 
 opening charge of yours ! That picture you drew 
 of the terrace and the sunset and the pink 
 satin gown ! I vow I saw the whole scene before 
 my eyes ! And as for the poor lady, she was 
 quite overcome ! If there is a soft spot anywhere 
 in that callous world-battered heart of hers, it is 
 for her old home, and the old days she spent 
 there. But how you ever came to suspect this, 
 and to touch the spring " 
 
 " I am sure I had no notion of touching any- 
 thing," confessed Dolly, frankly. " I only said 
 what came uppermost. I had not any particu- 
 larly kind recollections of Lady Frensham she 
 never was kind to me and when I made up my 
 mind that we ought to call upon her, all I wished 
 for was to have it well over, and have done my 
 duty." 
 
 " He told me upstairs that he would be thank- 
 ful when we were well out of her presence
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 259 
 
 again," chimed in May. " I thought I should 
 have to do all the talking, and that Dolly would 
 just sit by, looking at his boots " 
 
 "Whereas it was you you and I who had 
 to sit looking at each other ! " Mrs. Courtenay 
 nodded merrily. " You did very well, my dear ; 
 very well indeed ; and Lady Frensham was won- 
 derfully gracious and benign towards you; she 
 patted you on the shoulder when we came away, 
 did she not ? But you will never be the favour- 
 ite your husband will in that quarter take my 
 word for it. ~Not that it matters oh, dear, no 
 you would prefer him to be number one with his 
 own people," anticipating the eager protestation. 
 "Of course. It is as it should be. Aunts in- 
 variably prefer nephews ; ami uncles give the 
 palm to nieces, as we all know. And when I 
 heard Lady Frensham avowing herself Lord St. 
 Bee's aunt (having coined the relationship on the 
 spur of the moment) I, or any one, could have 
 told that his victory was complete." 
 
 " She was really awfully nice," said Dolly, in 
 a satisfied voice. " I daresay I was too hard 
 upon her in old times. Boys are often nuisances 
 to older people ; and I fancy my father was not 
 not exactly popular with the rest of the family.
 
 260 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 At anyrate, Lady Frensham means to be friendly 
 with us now," he added, hastily, " and and I am 
 very glad you took us to call, ma'am ; and we've 
 broken the ice now and for altogether." 
 
 " You have certainly done that, and broken it 
 in all directions." Mrs. Courtenay was not un- 
 willing to change the subject. " The ice was very 
 nearly dripping beneath the sun at the next 
 house we went to," continued she, brightly. 
 "My poor old Lady Jane and Lady Charlotte! 
 This will be one of the whitest of white days in 
 their lives ! I daresay they are sitting now cac- 
 kling together as fast as tongues can go, over the 
 wonderful transformation scene in prospect. Did 
 you see how they looked at each other in a kind 
 of ecstasy when you first spoke of their visiting 
 Redditch again ? Their eyes said : ' Can it really 
 be true ? Is this not a dream ? ' And to be 
 going there for a real country Christmas! Oh, 
 they won't mind the long journey, or the cold 
 weather. Keither snow nor frost, rain nor hail, 
 will stop them. They will appear on the day 
 appointed, and by the train you said." 
 
 " Oh, but I didn't name any train." Dolly 
 laughed genially. " We can send to meet 
 any train they like. And I only mentioned a
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 261 
 
 particular day to show the visit was a fix- 
 ture." 
 
 " That was what delighted them ; it clinched 
 the matter; left no uncertainty, no vagueness 
 about it. And then, how pleased they were to 
 give us Mrs. Gayford's address ! If any of the 
 Gayfords should be able to accept your kind hos- 
 pitality likewise, it would be a great thing for the 
 old ladies to have some fellow guests with whom 
 they were already familiar, and could be quite at 
 home. I wish we could have seen the Gayfords " 
 (the Gayfords had been out) "but still we 
 left cards," continued Mrs. Courtenay, cheerfully, 
 "and to have driven all that long way out to 
 Hampstead merely to leave cards was in itself a 
 civility to be thoroughly appreciated by poor 
 Fanny Gayford. Yes, although we have only 
 been to three houses, and only been admitted into 
 two which sounds little enough to usurp a 
 whole London afternoon I think, I do think we 
 may flap our wings and crow over a most de- 
 lightful, eventful, successful expedition." 
 
 " And now to tell Henrietta ! " exclaimed the 
 same speaker, having prattled gaily all the way 
 home. " Now to recount our adventures." And 
 she stepped briskly up her own doorsteps, and
 
 262 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 paused in the hall to examine the usual array of 
 cards and notes upon the table, before going 
 further. 
 
 The butler murmured something in her ear. 
 
 " ' A gentleman upstairs,' did you say ? What 
 gentleman ? To see Miss Milner ? Does Miss 
 Milner know ? " 
 
 "Miss Milner is in the drawing-room, 
 ma'am." 
 
 " Have you taken tea upstairs, Maxton ? " 
 
 " Tea went up half-an-hour ago, ma'am." 
 
 But if tea had gone up so long before our 
 party returned, it seemed curious that it should 
 not have been touched, and that there was ap- 
 parently no intention of touching it on the part 
 of the two for whose presumable benefit the cosy 
 meal had been prepared. 
 
 Lord Ingatestone and Miss Milner were not 
 even sitting down when surprised, if the word be 
 not out of place, by the return of the driving 
 party.
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 WHEN people who have been out of doors 
 out upon an interesting excursion, fraught with 
 momentous issues to some, and in which all are 
 more or less concerned come back to tell tire 
 tale, brimming over with excitement, and eager 
 for sympathy, it is a little " flat " to be met by 
 the necessity for postponing the recital to a more 
 convenient season, and to recognise that the 
 auditor whose attention had been reckoned upon 
 has no ear to bestow at the moment. 
 
 That the marplot who had thus unwittingly 
 interfered with this supreme moment on the pres- 
 ent occasion, was one whom all would have wel- 
 comed willingly enough at another time, was 
 indeed some slight consolation but still, pretty 
 little May St. Bees, looking as fresh as a daisy 
 with the rosy colour in her cheeks and the light 
 dancing in her blue eyes, felt provoked with 
 Henrietta's visitor. 
 
 203
 
 264 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 It was not only that he was there, and that 
 before him nothing could be said it was that 
 Henrietta did not look as if she were impatient to 
 have everything said ; did not step aside, as she 
 might have done, to murmur enquiries, and 
 receive confidences. She could have heard half 
 the events of the expedition whilst Mrs. Court- 
 enay was interchanging greetings with Lord In- 
 gatestone, and allowing him to undo the fasten- 
 ings of her cloak, and relieve her of her muff and 
 boa. They were old friends, and were soon in 
 easy conversation. 
 
 / 
 
 The large room with its shaded lamps just lit, 
 and its blazing fire reflected in a thousand glitter- 
 ing knick-knacks, was probably a tempting place 
 for a man to linger in but Lord Ingatestone, if 
 May had heard aright, had been there a long time 
 already, and might very well now take his de- 
 parture if, as was to be presumed from the 
 neglect of- the tea-table, he had a soul above such 
 frivolities. 
 
 Yet here was the tiresome man sitting down 
 again ; sitting beside his hostess, and conversing 
 placidly with her and also with Dolly, who stood 
 upon the hearth-rug. Apparently neither Mrs. 
 Courtenay nor Lord St. Bees were on the fidget.
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 265 
 
 Both seemed content to wait. While Henrietta ? 
 Henrietta was really exasperating. 
 
 " I do wish we could have been alone," May 
 whispered in her ear. And in return received 
 such a blank, bewildered gaze as was a positive 
 shock to the system. For the look said as plainly 
 as look could say : " Why should we be alone ? 
 What is to take place when we are alone ? Ts 
 there anything I have forgotten and ought to 
 have remembered ? At this moment my mind is 
 in a haze, and you and your affairs are hidden 
 behind that haze." 
 
 Yet this was the same Henrietta who two 
 hours before had fluttered round the little band of 
 explorers, all participation in their hopes and 
 fears, who had sent them forth with a thousand 
 encouragements and prognostications of success ! 
 
 It was too bad of Henrietta or else ? And 
 then as by a lightning flash, misapprehension 
 flew to the winds, and the case was clear as day- 
 light. 
 
 Something had happened. Something not in- 
 deed altogether unexpected but oh, that it should 
 have taken place so soon ! now ! here ! on this 
 very spot ! That the air should be still quivering 
 with electricity, and Henrietta, her dear, dearest
 
 266 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 Henrietta, still unable to look around her, or feel 
 the ground whereon she trod ! 
 
 May's own heart gave a great bound, whilst 
 she gasped beneath the new excitement, and but 
 that no one had notice to bestow upon her at the 
 moment, would have betrayed to all her glorious 
 discovery. As it was, she looked so meaningly 
 from one to another, and subsided so swiftly into 
 a subordinate position, that it was well she had 
 taken a seat somewhat beyond the pale of obser- 
 vation. 
 
 And although unaware to what such timely 
 subservience was due, Henrietta was vaguely con- 
 scious of an improvement in affairs. It was diffi- 
 cult enough to proceed filling her tea-cups with 
 the regulation propriety of demeanour, when but 
 a few minutes before she had allowed herself to 
 confess that which would affect all her future life. 
 But it would have been still harder to maintain 
 this outward composure, had not little May for 
 once held her tongue. 
 
 And it mattered not what lay at the bottom of 
 such consideration. It signified nothing now 
 whether anyone were on the alert or no. Mrs. 
 Courtenay might ask Lord Ingatestone to dine 
 with them that same evening and he might ac-
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 267 
 
 cept; why should he not? The die was cast; 
 the fateful words had been pronounced ; and all 
 would be known ere he returned to fulfil the en- 
 gagement. He was going now ; going with a 
 happy look and lingering step going, as it ap- 
 peared, in utter oblivion of a little arrangement 
 which had been entered into earlier in the visit, 
 and which had actually to be recalled to his recol- 
 lection by the lady of his heart, as he bade " Fare- 
 well " for the time being. 
 
 " You thought of taking Lord St. Bees with 
 you," murmured Henrietta, as he approached the 
 spot where she was standing a little apart from 
 the rest. 
 
 " Oh ? ah ! yes ! To be sure ! " Appar- 
 ently Lord St. Bees and his affairs had been as 
 completely banished from the lover's thoughts as, 
 until this moment, they had been from those of 
 his Mentor. The break-up of the party was to 
 her the necessary fillip and at her instigation he 
 turned promptly round. 
 
 " There is still a couple of hours before din- 
 ner time. Will you walk with me to my club ? " 
 said he, addressing Dolly, still upon the hearth- 
 rug. " That is, if you have nothing else to 
 do?"
 
 268 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 The invitation was accepted with readiness, 
 and the two set forth. 
 
 The door shut behind them. May's arms 
 were round her friend's neck in a moment. Mrs. 
 Courtenay was exclaiming " My dearest Henri- 
 etta ! " in accents of unfeigned delight, and 
 but the scene is familiar to all, why attempt to 
 depict it ? 
 
 " And you sent them away together, that we 
 might have it out by ourselves, didn't you ? " cried 
 the sympathetic young wife, at last. " Just we 
 three, and no one else ! And I was simply dying 
 for Lord Ingatestone to go! And wondering 
 how we should get rid of Dolly for I knew you 
 wouldn't speak out when Dolly was here. But 
 poor Dolly wouldn't have liked to have been sent 
 off by himself for though he is so busy at home, 
 he has nothing to do in London though of course 
 he could have gone and smoked in the library 
 but still it was nice of Lord Ingatestone to ask 
 him to go to his club- " 
 
 " Now, you little chatterbox," and Henrietta, 
 who had been laughing and blushing, and quite 
 unlike herself for the last twenty minutes, here 
 made an endeavour to be serious, and took firm
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 269 
 
 hold of the little fondling hand within her own. 
 " Now, May, you are going to listen to me for a 
 few minutes, and, aunt Laura, I want you to lis- 
 ten too, because this is rather an important matter 
 in its way ; though after all it is nothing for any- 
 one to mind ; and I think as we are all so happy, 
 and everything is going so well, we had better be 
 quite open with each other and " 
 
 " It is something about me about us ! " said 
 May, quickly. " I am sure of it. Something I 
 shan't like to hear. And you think you ought to 
 tell me. And it's worrying you a little just in 
 the midst of your own happiness. Oh, but never 
 mind, dear Henrietta," laying her cheek lovingly 
 on the other's ; " say whatever you please, even if 
 it should vex me, though I don't believe it will. 
 Nothing would vex me to-night." 
 
 "That is what I thought," said Henrietta, 
 steadily. " It is really a very small annoyance, 
 only it would be better you should know about it. 
 I am to speak out before aunt Laura, am I not ? 
 Aunt Laura knows about " She hesitated. 
 
 " About Captain Hazard ? " said May, simply, 
 "About my being so silly and punished for it? 
 Henrietta," in rather a lower tone, "is it is it 
 
 about him ? " 
 18
 
 270 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 " I was sitting quietly reading this afternoon," 
 said Henrietta, who perceived that she had now 
 her audience in a proper state of expectancy, 
 " when Lord Ingatestone was announced. I did 
 not know he was in town, and he did not know I 
 was until a few hours ago, when by chance he 
 met Captain Hazard in the hall of his club. I 
 must tell you, May, that it was Lord Ingatestone 
 who warned me against Captain Hazard. He 
 was the person whose name I never would give 
 you. Somehow, I didn't wish to bring him into 
 it. But the two have known each other slightly 
 for a long while, and when they met this after- 
 noon Lord Ingatestone, remembering where he 
 had last seen Captain Hazard, with a little curi- 
 osity to know how his visit had terminated, and 
 and perhaps a wish to have some news of us all," 
 colouring and smiling, "began to talk to him. 
 Lord Ingatestone must have been rather artful 
 (he can be, you know ; he is a great deal cleverer 
 than people think, and he has a quiet way of 
 drawing out all that's in you without your having 
 the least idea of what he is about) well, he had 
 no difficulty with Captain Hazard, who at once, 
 and in a loud voice which several standing near 
 could hear distinctly, began to talk the most
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 271 
 
 outrageous nonsense about you and Lord St. 
 Bees." 
 
 May started. 
 
 " We knew it was very likely he would, you 
 know," said Henrietta lightly, " and it was really 
 very fortunate wonderfully fortunate that 
 Lord Ingatestone should be the person to whom 
 the absurd story was first told. As far as we can 
 judge, this preposterous man has not had a chance 
 of telling it to anyone else, because he caught 
 such a cold the same day he left Eedditch, that 
 he had to go to bed at a country inn, and only 
 reached London this afternoon. In fact, he only 
 walked into the club as Lord Ingatestone saw 
 him, and was so hoarse and so muffled up that 
 Lord Ingatestone really thought he was for once 
 speaking the truth when he described his illness." 
 
 " But what did he say about us ? " 
 
 "Said that your husband was a brute, my 
 dear, and that you would be separated from him 
 before another year was out with all the usual 
 variations. Lord Ingatestone did not enter into 
 full particulars, and I did not press for them ; but 
 you may fill in anything you like." 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 " The fortunate thing was," proceeded Henri-
 
 272 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 etta, " that in the course of his remarks your late 
 guest chanced to observe that you and I were in 
 town together, whilst Lord St. Bees had started 
 off in another direction. He made great capital 
 out of this, alleging that he had himself seen the 
 parting, and that it was uncommonly cool." 
 
 " How could he say so ? What a disgraceful 
 falsehood ! " May's cheeks were flaming. 
 
 " But to that very disgraceful falsehood I owe 
 Lord Ingatestone's coming here, and perhaps you 
 may owe the stamping out of this silly scandal be- 
 fore its wings are fledged," retorted Henrietta, 
 gaily. "The moment Lord Ingatestone heard 
 that I was here with you, that was enough. Cap- 
 tain Hazard, to show his knowledge of your 
 movements, and give an air of truth to his story, 
 let fall my aunt's name, and Lord Ingatestone, 
 who did not know what to believe and what to 
 disbelieve, and who was not in a position to give 
 the lie to anything, however improbable it 
 seemed, thought he could do no less than come 
 straight off here, and and you know the rest." 
 
 " Indeed we don't ! " May pressed closer. 
 " We want to know a great deal more. Oh, don't 
 be so demure and shake your head. Now you 
 have got so far you must tell us how he came in
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 273 
 
 and how he looked and what he said. He 
 didn't really come one bit because of that trump- 
 ery story of Captain Hazard's, I know." 
 
 Henrietta looked at her in amazement. 
 
 "It is very disagreeable to have such things 
 said, and it was wicked and horrid of that detest- 
 able man to go and say them but, after all, what 
 does it matter to us ? " said the young Lady St. 
 Bees, valiantly. " We can afford to disregard the 
 sting of such a a reptile. Don't let us speak of 
 him," hastily. " I care far more now to hear 
 about what took place in here this afternoon," her 
 face again brightening into sunshine. " How de- 
 lighted he must have been when he found you 
 alone, and we out for the whole afternoon ! Just 
 think, dear Mrs. Courtenay," bending across to- 
 ward the elder lady, " just think if we had looked 
 in to fetch Henrietta before we went on to 
 Hampstead! How dreadful that would have 
 been ! And we nearly did it ; for it would have 
 been about the very time would it not have been 
 about the very time that Lord Ingatestone ar- 
 rived ? It was four o'clock, don't you remem- 
 ber ? You looked at your watch, Mrs. Courtenay, 
 as we turned out of Montagu Square ; and then 
 you thought that Henrietta would be sure to have
 
 274 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 gone out, as the afternoon was so fine, and that 
 we really had not any time to waste, now that the 
 days are so short. Oh, Henrietta," hi parenthesis, 
 "it was so delightful driving home through the 
 lighted streets just now! The air was quite 
 warm, and driving in an open carriage through 
 London in the dusk is such fun! I think we 
 must come to London sometimes for a little bit in 
 the winter, when we feel ourselves inclined to 
 stagnate at Eedditch. "Well, but, Henrietta," re- 
 turning to the point, "when Lord Ingatestone 
 came in, what did you say to him ? "What did 
 you tell him ? And what made him take it into 
 his head all at once to " 
 
 " No, no, my dear May," at last Mrs. Courte- 
 nay had a chance of inserting her voice. " Hen- 
 rietta, love, we are a couple of inquisitives, but we 
 must not be too merciless. It is not fair to insist 
 upon knowing everything. May is so taken up 
 with your happiness " 
 
 " And I love her for it." A warm embrace. 
 Then Henrietta proceeded : 
 
 " I really don't know how it all came about, 
 May. I hardly had a moment to think. But I 
 suppose the truth is I think I knew he cared 
 forme and and I suppose I cared for him
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 275 
 
 and then we grew excited talking over your 
 affairs, something dropped out something I said, 
 and Lord Ingatestone caught at it and before I 
 knew before I had time to " 
 
 " Why, we did it then," cried May, with the 
 wildest exultation." "It was owing to us that 
 Lord Ingatestone came to-day ! Oh, how splen- 
 did ! How glorious ! Was it really and truly 
 that about Dolly and me which brought him ? " 
 
 " Really and truly it was. Yes indeed, dear 
 May," kissing her. " It was that and nothing 
 else. And now he has walked off Lord St. Bees 
 to his club, where he knows Captain Hazard has 
 an appointment to play billiards at this hour. 
 And he means to work it so, that after this meet- 
 ing Captain Hazard will be very careful very 
 careful indeed how he talks any further nonsense 
 about Lord and Lady St. Bees. Captain Hazard 
 will feel rather a fool, won't he, when just after 
 telling everybody that you two are flying in dif- 
 ferent directions, he finds that you have flown 
 together, and that no two people are less likely to 
 give the world anything to talk about ! He will 
 see, too, that there is an alliance formed which is 
 not to be trifled with. I think, my dear May, I 
 think you have heard the last of Captain Hazard
 
 276 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 and his fabrications. When Lord Ingatestone 
 
 takes a matter in hand " A proud light shone 
 
 in the speaker's eyes, and the rest of the sentence 
 was left to her hearer's imagination. 
 
 And then of course the whole thing had to 
 begin over again. But it all ended in the same 
 conclusion a conclusion which was amply con- 
 firmed when the two gentlemen severally gave in 
 their reports. Both had played their part to 
 admiration ; the slanderer had been discomfitted ; 
 his assertions disproved ; and he himself made 
 ridiculous and contemptible ; and though perhaps 
 this was hardly a novel experience in his career, 
 it would certainly have one effect, that of shut- 
 ting his mouth for the future as regarded two 
 people of his acquaintance, the only two with 
 which this little tale has any concern namely, 
 the Earl and Countess of St. Bees. 
 
 Two years have passed since the successors to 
 that ancient title first drove along the great 
 avenue to Kedditch Castle years which have had 
 their ups and downs, their blunders, perplexities, 
 and disappointments also their joys, their pleas- 
 ures, and their triumphs. 
 
 Although no after period was marked by
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 277 
 
 any such striking revolution in the feelings and 
 habits of the young pair as characterised the 
 six months recorded here, they had yet many 
 curious experiences to pass through, lessons to 
 learn, and pitfalls to avoid. Moreover, they were 
 not always so successful in disentangling them- 
 selves from unfortunate complications, in sur- 
 mounting difficulties, and in shaking off the con- 
 sequences of heedlessness and ignorance, as we 
 have seen them in these pages. 
 
 But gradually the rough way became smooth, 
 and much that was troublesome and mysterious in 
 the new life was unravelled ; and as they adapted 
 themselves to its requirements and fearlessly 
 grappled with its duties and obligations, its pleas- 
 ant lines became more obvious, and the good 
 fortune which had erst seemed almost a mirage 
 grew to be felt a real and actual thing. 
 
 Lord and Lady St. Bees desired to live not 
 only happily, but worthily. They were not above 
 being taught. When they made mistakes they 
 were ready to avow the same. Did either one or 
 other commit an involuntary injury or neglect, 
 he or she knew no rest until it was repaired. 
 Who then cared to recall the misdemeanours of 
 the past ?
 
 278 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 Kay, did not Mr. Rathbone himself come to 
 allege that it would be well for all well for Old 
 England and its people if every lord of the soil 
 were as truly in accord with those among whom 
 he lived the farmers who ploughed his fields 
 and the labourers who trimmed his hedgerows as 
 the Lord St. Bees who had erewhile been looked 
 upon as an intruder and usurper ? 
 
 Did not the vicar's daughter tell with joyful 
 pride how one and another from humble homes 
 around found a second home in the household of 
 the stately castle until even good Mrs. Grimm, 
 while pleased to execute her ladyship's will, and 
 not reluctant to enjoy the popularity such 
 patronage brought herself, was forced to cry 
 " Enough," when housemaids and kitchenmaids 
 multiplied beyond all reasonable measure ? 
 
 Did not the neighbours who, night after night, 
 beheld smoke rising from innumerable chimneys, 
 and lights glowing from innumerable windows, 
 say to each other that the old days had surely 
 come back to Redditch, the fame of whose hos- 
 pitality had once spread far and wide ? 
 
 And beneath the escutcheons on the wall of 
 the little parish church might be seen on 
 Sunday mornings familiar faces in the St. Bees'
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 379 
 
 great square pew ; the faces of those whose 
 ancestors lay within the family vault with their 
 names engraven on the stone and brass above. 
 And some who had not worshipped there since 
 childhood had their own allotted corner now. 
 
 Even the less congenial assoicates of their own 
 youth were in course of tune welcomed " for old 
 sake's sake " to May and Dolly's splendid home. 
 The aunt who had brought up the former did not 
 live indeed to profit by her niece's advancement, 
 but Mrs. Macinroy and her daughters paid an 
 annual visit, and whilst professing themselves still 
 unable to account for the unparalleled good 
 fortune which had overtaken one in nowise 
 better than themselves, and still disposed to 
 throw up their hands and exclaim : " Only little 
 May Duncan that was ! That's what we can't get 
 over " (as Georgina did when first the news was 
 brought) they were wont to proclaim on all oc- 
 casions, that they enjoyed themselves at Redditch 
 Castle as much as anybody and always made a 
 point of calling " the countess " by her Christian 
 name. 
 
 Whenever the Ingatestones came to Monks- 
 wood, it was an understood thing that they should 
 reserve a portion of their stay in the neighbour-
 
 280 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 hood for Lord and Lady St. Bees ; and no guests 
 were more warmly welcomed, nor had the day of 
 their departure more bewailed, when it could be 
 deferred no longer. 
 
 Lady Milner never could quite see what at- 
 traction Henrietta found in little May, nor why 
 she could not have enough of Lady St. Bees' com- 
 pany at Monkswood without thinking it necessary 
 to pay her a visit in her own home. Henrietta 
 did not attempt to enlighten her mother. She 
 was content to let it be supposed she sought her 
 own pleasure in cultivating this intercourse ; and 
 only one person in the world her husband had 
 his private suspicions as to the real motive which 
 prompted his high-minded and accomplished wife 
 to bestow so much of her time and thoughts upon 
 a friend so undeniably her inferior. " It is more 
 blessed to give than to receive," said he to him- 
 self. And he fancied that as regularly as there 
 was any new meeting between the two he was 
 sure to hear the remark, " How immensely Lady 
 St. Bees is improved ! " on every side. But then 
 Ingatestone was a husband, and perhaps he was 
 prejudiced. 
 
 " If she only had a child ! " sighed Henrietta 
 one day.
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 281 
 
 All the little motherly instincts which made the 
 youthful lady of the castle adored by every village 
 toddler seemed wasted when only brought into 
 play on extraneous occasions. It was all very well 
 for the stout dames of gardeners and gamekeepers 
 to point to her ladyship's special pets among their 
 own healthy, plentiful flocks, and recount her 
 ladyship's doings and sayings, the while Tommy 
 or Sukey stood by, finger in mouth, shyly elevated 
 by the recital one may lavish caresses and 
 bonbons on the chubby darlings of others, and 
 yet oh ! Henrietta knew how it felt. She had 
 brought her own tiny Henrietta to Redditch 
 Castle on the last occasion of her stay there. 
 
 And do what she might, May's employments 
 could not wholly occupy her time. She was not 
 intellectual ; she had no turn for art. Every 
 resource she possessed was now, it is true, turned 
 to account; and possibly the very fact of her 
 having but few pursuits either without or within 
 doors to absorb her attention might have its 
 value for those to whom her energy and activity 
 brought many a benefit. 
 
 Yet there was a void somewhere; a void 
 which betrayed itself in the plenitude of prepara- 
 tion when the nurseries the pleasant, sunny
 
 282 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 nurseries of the castle were to be put in order for 
 the occupation of a small visitor ; and in the wist- 
 ful eyes which rested so tenderly upon that little 
 one's face, as by-and-by it lay slumbering in its 
 godmother's arms. 
 
 Henrietta, looking on, felt that she had never 
 before known what a child would be to May. 
 
 Another twelve months, and behold ! 
 
 Forth through the garden door opening on 
 the flowery terrace the door described by Dolly 
 on the memorable occasion of his first visit to 
 Lady Frensham there steps a portly figure, clad 
 in the orthodox white dress and cap of a nurse 
 and with tenfold the importance of any ordinary 
 nurse ! 
 
 "Look at me!" she seems to say. "Envy 
 me, ye who minister to the wants of humbler 
 infants! Mine is heir of all this splendid 
 domain ! The first-born of this great lord and 
 lady ! The greatest treasure they possess ! " 
 And she struts along in the sun. 
 
 Presently she meets Lord and Lady St. Bees, 
 the wife hanging on her husband's arm. 
 
 They have seen her from afar, and made an 
 excuse even to each other for an instantaneous
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 283 
 
 movement towards the terrace. " I ought not to 
 dawdle here any longer," says Dolly. " Soames 
 is waiting for me in the house." " And I have 
 walked enough," acquiesces May. "I shall get 
 Nurse to place me a chair by the fountain." 
 " We had better go towards Nurse, then," Dolly 
 rejoins on the instant. And they go. 
 
 They generally do go if Nurse by any chance 
 shows herself on their horizon. 
 
 Already May begins to wonder how she ever 
 got along at all without these delicious little nur- 
 sery ceremonials over which she presides with 
 such unflagging interest, which are, indeed, as so 
 many events in her day ! How she contrived to 
 while away her time without those entrancing 
 moments when she is allowed to carry her pre- 
 cious jewel down to the drawing-room (Nurse 
 following solemnly behind), and present him to 
 admiring groups! And how she cared to drive 
 out at all until she learned to look forward to 
 the present joyous parade of setting forth, when 
 my lord takes an airing in the open carriage 
 back to the horses of course so that the moth- 
 er's eyes can devour the little soft, sleeping coun- 
 tenance, and fall into raptures over every fresh 
 attitude.
 
 284 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 
 
 Already she is familiar with the little indig- 
 nant voice which rings through the corridor, 
 when the small autocrat's demands are not at- 
 tended to on the instant ! 
 
 And every small advance is noted as though 
 it were an historic event ; while, as for the mys- 
 terious process of " short-coating " and the days 
 to come when the little pair of chubby legs 
 will stand upon their own feet and the first 
 tiny pearl will show itself above the surface 
 within that rosebud of a mouth these are so 
 many rose-coloured visions which pervade May's 
 dreams at night, and cast fresh glamour o er her 
 waking hours. 
 
 ~No fear of any monotony in the smooth days 
 which glide along so swiftly now. She has 
 really her hands almost too full ; since it would 
 be a shame to allow other occupations to lapse, 
 or to neglect any of the kindly deeds and duties 
 which have gradually woven themselves into the 
 thread of her daily life, just because God has 
 been so good to her, and given at last the one 
 desire of her heart. 
 
 And though, in years to come, other fair sons 
 and daughters may come to gladden the beaute- 
 ous home, and fill to overflowing its inmates'
 
 SUCCESSORS TO THE TITLE. 285 
 
 cup of happiness, perhaps no other child will 
 ever be quite what this one is to May and 
 Dolly ; who, as we leave them now, in the 
 height of their prosperity, with their wedded 
 bliss complete, and with every joyful omen for 
 the future, merit we may hope, not only the 
 kindly sympathy and approbation, but the hearty 
 " God bless you " of all who have followed 
 their fortunes, from first to last, throughout the 
 pages of this little history. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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 Besides the pictures of Nature and life in Selborne, there are many illus- 
 trations of characteristic English birds. These were made from the mounts 
 of Mr. Robert Newstead, of the Grosvenor Museum, Chester. Mr. Newstead 
 is an enthusiastic naturalist, who in his specialties is well known in Eng- 
 land and America both. His bird mounts have won a most favorable 
 reputation for their sentiment, their grace, and their truthfulness. 
 
 In his charming Introduction to this new edition Mr. John Burroughs 
 says : 
 
 "This book of Gilbert White's has a perennial charm. It is much like country 
 things themselves. ... It has lived a hundred years, and promises to live many hun- 
 dreds of years more. . . . White's book diffuses a sort of rural England atmosphere 
 through the mind. It is not the work of a city man who went down to the country to 
 write it up, but of a born countryman, one who had in the very texture of his mind the 
 flavor of rural things. . . . This is one secret of White's charm. The great world is 
 afar off ; Selborne is as snug and secluded as a chimney corner ; we get an authentic 
 glimpse into the real life of one man there; we see him going about intent, lovingly 
 intent, upon every phase of Nature about him. We get glimpses into humble cot- 
 tages and into the ways and doings of the people ; we see the bacon drying in the 
 chimneys ; we see the poor gathering in Wolmer Forest the sticks and twigs dropped 
 by the rooks in building their nests ; we see them claiming the ' lop and top ' when big 
 trees are cut. Indeed, the human touches, the human figures here and there in White's 
 pages, add much to the interest. . . . The pictures of Mr. Johnson that illustrate this 
 edition, taken as they were from the actual scenes, bring back the memory of my visit 
 very vividly." 
 
 New York : D. APPLETON & CO., 72 Fifth Avenue.
 
 D. APPLETON & CO.'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 TJNCLE REMUS. His Songs and his Sayings. By 
 ^ JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS. With new Preface and Revisions, 
 and 112 Illustrations by A. B. Frost. Library Edition, I2mo'. 
 Buckram, gilt top, uncut, $2.00. Also, Edition de luxe of the 
 above, limited to 250 copies, each signed by the author, with 
 the full-page cuts mounted on India paper. 8vo. White vel- 
 lum, gilt top, $10.00. 
 
 The union of author and artist has resulted in a perfect and definitive 
 edition. The enthusiasm, perfect comprehension, and lively sympathy of 
 the artist are felt throughout the volume. There can be no doubt that the 
 general verdict will stamp these delightful pictures of the quaint situations 
 in " Uncle Remus," and of various negro types, as the artist's happiest 
 work in illustration. The public will welcome this perfect exhibition of 
 Mr. Frost's unfaltering individuality, his instant realization of types, his 
 unexpected turns of humor. The printing and binding are worthy of the 
 author and of the work which the artist has accomplished with so much 
 enthusiasm and success. In his dedication to the artist Mr. Harris -writes : 
 " It would be no mystery at all if this new edition were to be more popu- 
 lar than the old one. Do you know why ? Because you have taken it 
 under your hand and made it yours. Because you have breathed the breath 
 of life into these amiable brethren of wood and field. Because, by a stroke 
 here and a touch there, you have conveyed into their quaint antics the illu- 
 mination of your own inimitable humor, which is as true to our sun and 
 soil as it is to the spirit and essence of the matter set forth." 
 
 " The idea of preserving and publishing these legends in the form in which the old 
 plantation negroes actually tell them is altogether one of the happiest literary concep- 
 
 " Mr. Harris's book may be looked on in a double light either as a pleasant vol- 
 ume recounting the stories told by a typical old colored man to a child, or as a valuable 
 contribution to our somewhat meager folklore. To Northern readers the story of Brer 
 (brother, brudder) Rabbit may be novel. To those familiar with plantation life, who 
 have listened to these quaint old stories, who have still tender reminiscences of some 
 good old mauma who told these wondrous adventures to them when they were children, 
 Brer Rabbit, the Tar Baby, and Brer Fox come back again with all the past pleasures 
 of younger days." New York Times. 
 
 "Mr. Joel Chandler Harris is a welcome visitor in the small world of American let- 
 ters. There is a charm about him which we meet in no other American humorist for 
 he is a humorist, and of the rarest type and which is so much a part of his individ- 
 uality that we no more try to analyze it than the happiness of a child or the tenderness 
 of a woman." New York Mail and Express. 
 
 New York : D. APPLETON & CO., 72 Fifth Avenue.
 
 D. APPLETON & CO.'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 BY A. CONAN DOYLE. 
 
 STARK MUNRO LETTERS. Being a 
 Series of Twelve Letters written by J. STARK MUNRO, M. B., 
 to his friend and former fellow-student, Herbert Swanborough, 
 of Lowell, Massachusetts, during the years 1881-1884. Illus- 
 trated. I2mo. Buckram, $1.50. 
 
 This original and dramatic story presents fresh types, extraordinary sit- 
 uations, and novel suggestions with a freshness and vigor which show that 
 the romancer's heart was in his work. Kow far certain incidents of the 
 story are based upon personal experiences it is impossible to say, but the 
 unflagging interest and unexpected phases of the romance are no less in 
 evidence than the close personal relations established between author and 
 reader. In the "Stark Munro Letters" the author has achieved another 
 success which will add to the number of his American friends and readers. 
 
 "Any one who has read any of the fascinating stories in which the shrewd detect- 
 ive, Sherlock Holmes, figures as the very personification of detective logic applied to 
 the detection of crime, knows that Conan Doyle is a story-teller of the very first order 
 of merit. Like his own character, Sherlock Holmes, he possesses the power of getting 
 out of everything all there is in it." 'Philadelphia Item. 
 
 " Dr. Doyle's stories are so well known for their strong dramatic style, for the ele- 
 gance of expression, that anything new from his pen is sure to be warmly welcomed. 
 His readers are sure of getting a literary treat from anything he write?:. He is broad- 
 minded and liberal, and the man who could write two such books as ' The White Com- 
 pany' and 'The Refugees' has a future which the shades of Scott and Dickens might 
 envy." Albany Times-Union, 
 
 R 
 
 SEVENTH EDITION. 
 OUND THE RED LAMP. i 2 mo. Cloth, $1.50. 
 
 The " Red Lamp," the trade-mark, as it were, of the English country 
 practitioner's office, is the central point of these dramatic stories of profes- 
 sional life. There are no secrets for the surgeon, and, a surgeon himself as 
 well as a novelist, the author has made a most artistic use of the motives 
 and springs of action revealed to him in a field of which he is the master. 
 
 "Too much can not be said in praise of these strong productions, that, to read, 
 keep one's heart leaping to the throat and the mind in a tumult of anticipation to the 
 end. . . . No series of short stories in modern literature can approach them." Hart- 
 ford Times. 
 
 " If Mr. A. Conan Doyle had not already placed himself in the front rank of living 
 English writers by ' The Refugees,' and other of his larger stories, he would surely do 
 so by these fifteen short tales." New York Mail and Express. 
 
 " The reading of these choice stories will prove an exciting pleasure to all who may 
 linger on the pages that present them." Boston Courier. 
 
 "A strikingly realistic and decidedly original contribution to modern literature." 
 Boston Saturday Evening Gazette. 
 
 " Every page reveals the literary artist, the keen observer, the trained delineator of 
 human nature, its weal and its woe. . . . Dr. Doyle has a rich note-book or, we should 
 say, a golden memory." London Freeman's Journal. 
 
 New York : D. APPLETON & CO., 72 Fifth Avenue.
 
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 life of diamonds to be caught and held palpitating in expression's grasp." Boston 
 Courier. 
 
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 could be desired." Boston Traveller. 
 
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 healthy to the core, the love that God made for man and woman's first glimpse of para- 
 dise, and a constant reminder of it." San Francisco Call. 
 
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 CORRUPTION. By PERCY WHITE, author of "Mr. 
 ^-^ Bailey-Martin," etc. I2mo. Cloth, $1.25. 
 
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 of political and social adventures in London. The story illustrates phases oflife which 
 are of especial interest, and it is told with rare felicity of expression by an author inti- 
 mately acquainted with the subjects of which he treats. . 
 
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 ** HUNT. I2mo. Cloth, $1.25. 
 
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 /IN IMAGINATIVE MAN. By ROBERT S. 
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 $1.25. 
 
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 tional story of love and marriage. The clever hand of the author of ' The Green 
 Carnation' is easily detected in the caustic wit and pointed epigram." Jeanne tie L. 
 Gilder, in the New York World. 
 
 I 
 
 N THE FIRE OF THE FORGE. A Romance 
 of Old Nuremberg. By GEORG EBERS, author of " Cleopatra," 
 " An Egyptian Princess," etc. In 2 vols. i6mo. Paper, 80 
 cents ; cloth, $1.50. 
 
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 appeals to the average mind." Boston Budget. 
 
 *~rHE LAND OF THE SUN. Vistas Mexicanas. 
 
 * By CHRISTIAN REID, author of " The Land of the Sky," " A 
 
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 Certainly no one should ever think of visiting Mexico without taking this book of 
 splendid description and delightful romance with him." Boston Home Journal. 
 
 " He who would see the grandeurs of Mexico through the eyes of another should 
 give careful perusal to Christian Reid's portrayal of ' The Land of the Sun,' which in 
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 Spain." Chicago Evening Post. 
 
 New York : D. APPLETON & CO., 72 Fifth Avenue.
 
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 *~JTHE STORY OF SONNY SAHIB. Illustrated. 
 
 * I2mo. Cloth, $1.00. 
 
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 SOCIAL DEPARTURE: How Orthodocia and I 
 Went Round the World by Ourselves. With in Illustrations 
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 cloth, $1.50. 
 
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 SIMPLE ADVENTURES OF A MEM- 
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 New York : D. APPLETON & CO., 72 Fifth Avenue.
 
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 D. APPLETON & CO.'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 OUISA MUHLBACH'S HISTORICAL 
 
 NOVELS. New edition, 18 vols. Illustrated. I2mo. Cloth, 
 per volume, $1.00. Set, in box, $18.00. 
 
 In offering to the public our new and illustrated izmo edition of 
 Louisa Miihlbach's celebrated historical romances we wish to call 
 attention to the continued and increasing popularity of these books for 
 over thirty years. These romances are as well known in England 
 and America as in the author's native country, Germany, and it has 
 been the unanimous verdict that no other romances reproduce so 
 vividly the spirit and social life of the times which are described. In 
 the vividness of style, abundance of dramatic incidents, and the dis- 
 tinctness of the characters portrayed, these books offer exceptional 
 entertainment, while at the same time they familiarize the reader with 
 the events and personages of great historical epochs. 
 
 The titles are as follows : 
 
 Napoleon and the Queen of Prussia. 
 
 The Empress Josephine. 
 
 Napoleon and Blucher. 
 
 Queen Hortense. 
 
 Marie Antoinette and her Son. 
 
 Prince Eugene and his Times. 
 
 The Daughter of an Empress. 
 
 Joseph II and his Court. 
 
 Frederick the Great and his Court. 
 
 Frederick the Great and his Family. 
 
 Berlin and Sans-Souci. 
 
 Goethe and Schiller. 
 
 The Merchant of Berlin, and Maria Theresa and 
 
 her Fireman. 
 
 Louisa of Prussia and her Times. 
 Old Fritz and the New Era. 
 Andreas Hofer. 
 
 Mohammed AH and his House. 
 Henry VIII and Catherine Parr. 
 
 New York : D. APPLETON & CO.. 72 Fifth Avenue.
 
 D.- APPLETON & CO.'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 /IN AIDE-DE-CAMP OF NAPOLEON. Mem- 
 ** oirs of General COUNT DE SEGUR, of the French Academy, 
 1800-1812. Revised by his Grandson, COUNT Louis DE SEGUR. 
 I2mo. Cloth, $2.00. 
 
 " We say without hesitation that 'An Aide-de-Camp of Napoleon ' is the 
 book of memoirs above all others that should be read by those who are anx- 
 ious to see Napoleon through the eyes of one of the many keen judges of 
 character by whom he was surrounded." London Literary World. 
 
 " The Count's personal story of adventure is so thrilling, and his oppor- 
 tunities of watching .Napoleon were so constant and so ably utilized, that 
 his work deserves honorable mention among works which show us history 
 in the making, and the realities as well as the romance of war." London 
 Daily Telegraph. 
 
 " We thank the publishers for this translation of a most absorbing book. 
 The story of Austerlitz is one involving so much genius that it must be read 
 as a whole all the good things with which the book abounds." London 
 Daily Chronicle. 
 
 "The historical interest is undoubtedly great. De Segur's account of 
 Napoleon's plans for the invasion of England is very interesting." London 
 Times. 
 
 " No recent work of which the present fashion for Napoleonic literature 
 has witnessed either in the shape of translations from the French or of 
 original monographs on his famous battles, is likely to interest a larger class 
 of intelligent readers than ' An Aide-de-Camp of Napoleon.'" New York 
 Mail and Express. 
 
 ' ' ' An Aide-de-Camp of Napoleon ' is the title of one of the most interest- 
 ing of the many works which have been published concerning the career of 
 the great warrior." New York Press. 
 
 " The memoirs of Count de Segur are distinguished by all the light graces 
 that can polish a recital and impart delicacy to a narrative without depriving 
 it of its strength. It is a pleasure to peruse this well-written memorial of 
 one who was a general of division, peer of France, and Academician, and 
 who lived for the greater part of a century a brilliant figure in war, politics, 
 and letters." Philadelphia Public Ledger. 
 
 "It is not only full of personal reminiscence, but of personal adventure, 
 and, as the style is easy and admirable, neither conceited nor tedious, it is 
 needless to say that the result is exceedingly interesting." Boston Commer- 
 cial Bulletin. 
 
 "The book is a delightful one, not only for its clear, flowing style and 
 historical interest, but for the entire absence of anything approaching bom- 
 bast or straining for effect. . . . This is one of the most interesting publica- 
 tions that the Napoleonic revival has given us." Cleveland World. 
 
 " Next to the memoirs of the private secretary, the Baron de Meneyal, 
 issued by the Appletons a year ago, this volume of Segur's is of greatest in- 
 terest." Rochester Herald. 
 
 New York : D. APPLETON & CO., 72 Fifth Avenue.
 
 T 
 
 D. APPLETON & CO.'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 HE FARMER'S BOY. By CLIFTON JOHNSON, 
 
 author of " The Country School in New England," etc. With 
 64 Illustrations by the Author. 8vo. Cloth, $2.50. 
 
 "One of the handsomest and most elaborate juvenile works lately published." 
 Philadelphia Item. 
 
 " Mr. Johnson's style is almost rhythmical, and one lays down the book with the 
 sensation of having read a poem and that saddest of all longings, the longing for 
 vanished youth." Boston Commercial Bulletin. 
 
 " As a triumph of the realistic photographer's art it deserves warm praise quite 
 aside from its worth as a sterling book on the subjects its title indicates. ... It is a 
 most praiseworthy book, and the more such that are published the better." A'em York 
 Mail and Express. 
 
 "The book is beautiful and amusing, well studied, well written, redolent of the 
 wood, the field, and the stream, and full of those delightfu) reminders of a boy's 
 country home which touch the heart." New York Independent. 
 
 "One of the finest books of the kind that have ever been put out." Cleveland 
 World. 
 
 " A book on whose pages many a gray-haired man would dwell with retrospective 
 enjoyment." St. Paul Pioneer Press. 
 
 " The illustrations are admirable, and the book will appeal to every one who has 
 had a taste of life on a New England farm." Boston Transcript. 
 
 T 
 
 'HE COUNTRY SCHOOL IN NEW ENG- 
 LAND. By CLIFTON JOHNSON. With 60 Illustrations from 
 Photographs and Drawings made by the Author. Square 8vo. 
 Cloth, gilt edges, $2.50. 
 
 " An admirable undertaking, carried out in an admirable way. . . Mr. Johnson's 
 descriptions are vivid and lifelike and are full of humor, and the illustrations, mostly 
 after photographs, give a solid effect of realism to the whole work, and are superbly 
 reproduced. . . . The definitions at the close of this volume are very, very funny, and 
 yet they are not stupid ; they are usually the result of deficient logic." Boston Beacon. 
 
 " A charmingly written account of the rural schools in this section of the country. 
 It speaks of the old-fashioned school days of the early quarter of this century, of the 
 mid century schools, of the country school of to-day, and of how scholars think and 
 write. The style is animated and picturesque. ... It is handsomely printed, and is 
 interesting from its pretty cover to its very last page." Boston Saturday Evening 
 Gazette. 
 
 " A unique piece of book-making that deserves to be popular. . . . Prettily and 
 serviceably bound, and well illustrated." The Churchman. 
 
 " The readers who turn the leaves of this handsome book will unite in saying the 
 author has 'been there.' It is no fancy sketch, but text and illustrations are both a 
 reality. " Chicago Inter-Ocean. 
 
 " No one who is familiar with the little red schoolhouse can look at these pictures 
 and read these chapters without having the mind recall the boyhood experiences, and 
 the memory is pretty sure to be a pleasant one." Chicago Times. 
 
 " A superbly prepared volume, which by its reading matter and its beautiful illustra- 
 tions, so natural and finished, pleasantly and profitably recalls memories and associations 
 connected with the very foundations of our national greatness." N. Y. Observer. 
 
 New York : D. APPLETON & CO., 72 Fifth Avenue.
 
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