widow's own disposal. No doubt, had Lord Fawn been persistent, he might
have found out the exact truth. He had, however, calculated that he could
afford to accept even the life-income. If more should come of it, so much
the better for him. He might, at any rate, so arrange the family matters
that his heir, should he have one, should not at his death be called upon
to pay something more than half the proceeds of the family property to his
mother, as was now done by himself.

Lord Fawn breakfasted at Fawn Court on the Monday, and his mother sat at
the table with him, pouring out his tea. "Oh, Frederic," she said, "it is
so important!"

"Just so; very important indeed. I should like you to call and see her
either to-day or to-morrow."

"That's of course."

"And you had better get her down here."

"I don't know that she'll come. Ought I to ask the little boy?"

"Certainly," said Lord Fawn, as he put a spoonful of egg into his mouth;
"certainly."

"And Miss Macnulty?"

"No; I don't see that at all. I'm not going to marry Miss Macnulty. The
child, of course, must be one of us."

"And what is the income, Frederic?"