"We hear that Sir William says he is better."

"I fear, nevertheless, that he is dying,--though it may, perhaps, take a
long time. And then poor Mountjoy has disappeared. I think that we
should see no one till the mystery about Mountjoy has been cleared up.
And then the story is so very discreditable."

"I do not see that that is an affair of ours," said Florence, who had no
desire to be shut up just at the present moment.

"We cannot help ourselves. This making his eldest son out to be--oh,
something so very different--is too horrible to be thought of. I am told
that nobody knows the truth."

"We at any rate are not implicated in that."

"But we are. He at any rate is my brother, and Mountjoy is my nephew,--or
at any rate was. Poor Augustus is thrown into terrible difficulties."

"I am told that he is greatly pleased at finding that Tretton is to
belong to him."

"Who tells you that? You have no right to believe anything about such
near relatives from any one. Whoever told you so has been very wicked."
Mrs. Mountjoy no doubt thought that this wicked communication had been
made by Harry Annesley. "Augustus has always proved himself to be
affectionate and respectful to his elder brother, that is, to his
brother who is--is older than himself," added Mrs. Mountjoy, feeling
that there was a difficulty in expressing herself as to the presumed
condition of the two Scarboroughs, "Of course he would rather be owner