had a right to kiss me if he chose."

Lady Thesiger bowed very stiffly.

"Two years after our marriage," Coralie continued, "my little son,
called Rupert, after the Crusader Trevelyan, was born. Under the
pretense of visiting some of my relations, I went to Lincoln. In the
registry of the church of St. Morton Friars you will find the proper
attestation of my son's birth."

"Where is that son?" asked Sir John, incredulously.

"At Lincoln. I can send for him. You can go there and see him; he is
under the care of Sarah Smith, my nurse. He is living and well, and he,
not Mr. Edgar, is the heir of Crown Anstey."

"But why," asked Sir John, incredulously, "why have you never told this
story before? It seems incredible that you should have waited until
now."

"I have my own reasons," she replied. "I waited first to see what Sir
Edgar would be like; then, when I saw him--I--I need not be ashamed to
own it, even before Miss Thesiger--I liked him, and if he had been
reasonable I should never have told my story at all."

"That is," said Sir John, with supreme disgust, "if Edgar had been duped
by you and had married you, you would have defrauded your son of his
rights?"

"Yes," she replied, with a smile; "it is Crown Anstey I love, and I