irregularity as was suspected regarding his birth had in fact occurred.
Latterly, however, from fresh information accidentally received, it
appeared that Sir Clarence had either been guilty of a wilful and criminal
misstatement, or that he had been deceived. In confirmation whereof, the
Honorable Richard produced documents of undoubted genuineness, showing
that an illegitimate son had been born to Sir John; and now called upon
the defendant to prove that this son had died in childhood, or that he had
not grown up to be Sir Clarence; and furthermore, having disposed of this
difficulty, to show the certificate of birth of a legitimate heir to Sir
John Malmaison, and to identify that heir with Sir Clarence.

Now, there were certainly some awkward circumstances in respect of this
illegitimacy question. Sir Clarence had known that he had had a brother
born out of wedlock; and it is possible he also knew that the documents
relating to his own birth were not where he could put his hands upon them.
He may even have been aware that, were his title to be challenged, there
would be serious technical difficulties in the way of vindicating it. At
the same time, Sir Clarence was entirely and justly convinced that his
title was good. The history of the illegitimate son was familiar to him,
and to the rest of the family, in all its details. It was not, of course,
an ordinary topic of conversation, but it was an acknowledged piece of
family history. Sir John had been wild in his youth, and had made a good
many loose connections before acceding to the baronetcy--his father, Sir
Charles, the same who ate the venison pasty, having lived to see his heir
a man of thirty. One of these connections had been with the daughter of a
tenant; during its progress a marriage had been arranged between John
Malmaison and a neighboring heiress. About the time that the marriage took
place, the tenant's daughter had a child; Clarence himself was born about
a year later. The child had lived five or six years only; after its death
its mother had gone up to London, and had not since been heard of. This