part of unfortunate lovers, however foolish the affair may be. But I
believe this Devonshire girl was quite unworthy of an honourable
attachment on the part of any man. You see I knew and liked Mrs.
Egerton, and I know how she loved her son. I cannot forgive him his
conduct to her; nor have the reports of his life abroad been by any
means favourable to his character. His career seems to have been a
very wild and dissipated one.'

'And he has never married?'

'No, he has never married.'

'He has been true, at least,' Mrs. Darrell said in a low thoughtful
tone.

We had lingered in the little study while her husband had told his
story. We went back to the hall now, and found Milly and Mr.
Stormont looking rather listlessly at the old portraits of the
Egerton race. I was anxious to see a picture of the last Mrs.
Egerton, after what I had heard about her, and, at my request, the
housekeeper showed me one in the drawing-room.

She was very handsome, and wonderfully like her son. I could fancy
those two haughty spirits in opposition.

We spent another hour looking over the rest of the house--old
tapestry, old pictures, old china, old furniture, secret staircases,
carved chimneypieces, muniment chests, and the usual objects of
interest to be found in such a place. After that we walked a little
in the neglected garden, where there were old holly hedges that had