t, however,
give his young brother nobleman the lie; and he was, therefore,
constrained to tell his tale, as if to one to whom it was unknown. He
was determined, however, though he could not speak out plainly, to let
Frank see that he was not deceived by his hypocrisy, and that he, Lord
Cashel, was well aware, not only that the event about to be told had
been known at Handicap Lodge, but that the viscount's present visit to
Grey Abbey had arisen out of that knowledge.

Lord Ballindine, up to this moment, was perfectly ignorant of this
event, and it is only doing justice to him to say that, had he heard of
it, it would at least have induced him to postpone his visit for some
time. Lord Cashel paused for a few moments, looking at Frank in a most
diplomatic manner, and then proceeded to unfold his budget.

"I am much surprised that you should not have heard of it. The
distressing news reached Grey Abbey yesterday, and must have been well
known in different circles in Dublin yesterday morning. Considering the
great intercourse between Dublin and the Curragh, I wonder you can have
been left so long in ignorance of a circumstance so likely to be widely
discussed, and which at one time might have so strongly affected your
own interests." Lord Cashel again paused, and looked hard at Frank. He
flattered himself that he was reading his thoughts; but he looked as if
he had detected a spot on the other's collar, and wanted to see whether
it was ink or soot.

Lord Ballindine was, however, confounded. When the earl spoke of
"a circumstance so likely to be widely discussed", Mat Tierney's
conversation recurred to him, and Lord Kilcullen's public declaration
that Fanny Wyndham's match was off.--It was certainly odd for Lord
Cashel to call this an occurrence in Miss Wyndham's family, but then,
he had a round-about way of saying everything.

"I say," continued the earl, after a short pause, "that I cannot but be
surprised that an event of so much importance, of so painful a nature,
and, doubtless, already so publicly known, should not before this have
reached the ears of one to whom, I presume, Miss Wyndham's name was not
always wholly indifferent. But, as you have not heard it, my lord, I
will communicate it to you," and again he paused, as though expecting
another assurance of Lord Ballindine's ignorance.

"Why, my lord," said Frank, "I did hear a rumour, which surprised me
very much, but I could not suppose it to be true. To tell