let him in. He always does things differently from anybody
else."

"One would have thought that when his father was dying--"

"Don't say that, Mr. Greenwood. There's nothing to make you say
that. The Marquis is very ill, but nobody has said that he's so bad
as that." Mr. Greenwood shook his head, but did not move from the
position in which he was standing. "I suppose that on this occasion
Hampstead is doing what is right."

"I doubt whether he ever does what is right. I am only thinking that
if anything should happen to the Marquis, how very bad it would be
for you and the young lords."

"Won't you sit down, Mr. Greenwood?" said the Marchioness, to whom
the presence of the standing chaplain had become almost intolerable.

The man sat down,--not comfortably in his chair, but hardly more than
on the edge of it, so as still to have that air of restraint which
had annoyed his companion. "As I was saying, if anything should
happen to my lord it would be very sad for your ladyship and for Lord
Frederick, and Lord Augustus, and Lord Gregory."

"We are all in the hands of God," said her ladyship, piously.

"Yes;--we are all in the hands of God. But it is the Lord's intention
that we should all look out for ourselves, and do the best we can to
avoid injustice, and cruelty, and,--and--robbery."

"I do not think there will be any robbery, Mr. Greenwood."

"Would it not be robbery if you and their little lordships should be
turned at once out of this house?"

"It would be his own;--Lord Hampstead's,--of course. I should have
Slocombe Abbey in Somersetshire. As far as a house goes, I should
like it better than this. Of course it is much smaller;--but what
comfort do I ever have out of a house like this?"

"That's true enough. But why?"

"There is no good in talking about it, Mr. Greenwood."

"I cannot help talking about it. It is because Lady Frances has
broken up the family by allowing herself to be engaged to a young
man beneath her own station in life." Here he shook his head, as he
always did when he spoke of Lady Frances. "As for Lord Hampstead,
I look upon it as a national misfortune that he should outlive his
father."

"What can we do?"

"Well, my lady; it is hard to say. What will my feelings be, should
anything happen to the Marquis, and should I be left to the tender
mercies of his eldest son? I should have no claim upon Lord Hampstead
for a shilling. As he is an infidel, of course he would not want a