law with him. From the moment of his birth the Honourable Mrs.
Morton, who was also his aunt by marriage, had been his bitter
enemy. He was the son of an innkeeper's daughter, and according to
her theory of life, should never even have been noticed by the real
Mortons. And this honourable old lady was almost equally adverse to
Lady Ushant, whose husband had simply been a knight, and who had
left nothing behind him. Thus Reginald Morton had been friendless
since his grandfather died, and had lived in Germany, nobody quite
knew how. During the entire period of this law-suit Hoppet Hall had
remained untenanted.

When the property was finally declared to belong to Reginald
Morton, the Hall, before it could be used, required considerable
repair. But there was other property. The Bush Inn belonged to
Reginald Morton, as did the house in which Mr. Masters lived, and
sundry other smaller tenements in the vicinity. There was an income
from these of about five hundred pounds a year. Reginald, who was
then nearly thirty years of age, came over to England, and stayed
for a month or two at Bragton with his aunt, to the infinite
chagrin of the old dowager. The management of the town property was
entrusted to Mr. Masters, and Hoppet Hall was repaired. At this
period Mr. Mainwaring had just come to Dillsborough, and having a
wife with some money and perhaps quite as much pretension, had
found the rectory too small, and had taken the Hall on a lease for
seven years. When this was arranged Reginald Morton again went to
Germany, and did not return till the lease had run out. By that
time Mr. Mainwaring, having spent a little money, found that the
rectory would be large enough for his small family. Then the Hall
was again untenanted for awhile, till, quite suddenly, Reginald
Morton returned to Dillsborough, and took up his permanent