emed impossible that my cousin could have been so little
curious to hear any of our joint family affairs; been so unheedful,
or even weary, if I spoke of Roland,--never, by a word or tone, have
betrayed a sympathy with his kindred. And my other conjecture was
so probable,--son of the Colonel Vivian whose name he bore. And that
letter, with the post-mark of "Godalming," and my belief, too, in
my cousin's death,--even now I am not surprised that the idea never
occurred to me.

I paused from enumerating these excuses for my dulness, angry with
myself, for I noticed that Lord Castleton's fair brow darkened; and he
exclaimed, "What deceit he must have gone through before he could become
such a master in the art!"

"That is true, and I cannot deny it," said I. "But his punishment now
is awful; let us hope that repentance may follow the chastisement. And
though certainly it must have been his own fault that drove him from his
father's home and guidance, yet, so driven, let us make some allowance
for the influence of evil companionship on one so young,--for the
suspicions that the knowledge of evil produces, and turns into a kind
of false knowledge of the world. And in this last and worst of all his
actions--"

"Ah, how justify that?"

"Justify it? Good Heavens! Justify it? No. I only say this, strange as
it may seem, that I believe his affection for Miss Trevanion was for
herself,--so he says, from the depth of an anguish in which the most
insincere of men would cease to feign. But no more of this; she is
saved, thank Heaven!"

"And you believe," said Lord Castleton, musingly, "that he spoke the
truth when he thought that I--" The marquis stopped, cowered slightly,
and then went on. "But no; Lady Ellinor and Trevanion, whatever might
have been in their thoughts, would never have so forgot their dignity as
to take him, a youth, almost a stranger,--nay, take any one into their
confidence on such a subject."

"It was but by broken gasps, incoherent, disconnected words, that
Vivian--I mean my cousin--gave me any explanation of this. But Lady
N--, at whose house he was staying, appears to have entertained such a
notion, or at least led my cousin to think so."

"Ah! that is possible," said Lord Castleton, with a look of relief.
"Lady N--and I were boy and girl together; we correspond; she has
written to me suggesting that--Ah! I see,--an indiscreet woman. Hum!
this comes of lady correspondents!"

Lord Castleton had recour