to date, by marking in
neatly all the births, deaths, and marriages from the _Gazette_--his
daily study. His daughter, a nice, modest-looking girl of fourteen,
Constance's chief friend, came too.

His wife was detained by her lodgers, but when he rolled in, with the
book under his arm, there was a certain resemblance between himself and
it, for both were broad and slightly dilapidated--the one from gout, the
other from wear, and the red cover had faded into a nondescript
whity-brown, or browny-white, not unlike the complexion of a close-shaven
face. He was carefully arrayed in evening costume, and was very choice
in his language, being, in fact, much grander than all his aristocratic
masters rolled into one; so that though Mrs. Morton tried to recollect
that she was a great lady and he had been a servant, force of habit made
her feel his condescension when he held out his puffy white hand; and,
with a gracious bend of his yellow-gray head, said, 'Allow me to offer my
congratulations, Mrs. Morton. I little suspected my proximity to a lady
so nearly allied to the aristocracy.'

'I am sure you are very kind, Mr. Rollstone. I had no notion--Ida can
tell you I was quite overcome--though when I came to think of it, my
poor, dear Morton always did say he had high connections, but I always
thought it was one of his jokes.'

'Then as I understand, Mrs. Morton, the lamented deceased was junior to
the present Lord Northmoor?'

'Yes, poor dear! Oh, if he had but lived and been eldest, he would have
become his honours ever so much better!'

'And oh, Mr. Rollstone, what are we?' put in Ida breathlessly, while Rose
squeezed Constance's hand in schoolgirl fashion.

'Indeed, Miss Ida, I fear I cannot flatter you with any change in your
designation. If your respected parent had survived he might have become
the Honourable Charles, but only by special grant from Her Majesty. It
was so in the case of the Honourable Frances Fordingham, when her brother
inherited the title.'

'Then at least I am an Honourable!' exclaimed Mrs. Morton.

'I am afraid not, Mrs. Morton. I know of no precedent for such honours
being bestowed on a relict; but as I understand that Lord Northmoor is no
longer in his first youth, your son might succeed to the title, and, in
that case, his sisters might be'--he paused for a word--'ennobled.'

'Then does not it really make any difference to us?' exclaimed Mrs.
Morton.

'That would rest in the bosom