ight is another. Vivian, however, managed to do what
was required of him, and to enjoy his hunting at the same time.

On his arrival at Gorse Hall the day before the famous accident he
had a budget of news of which he was very full, but of which he at
first spoke only to Hampstead. He could not, at any rate, speak of it
in the presence of Lady Frances. "You have heard this, haven't you,
about George Roden?" he asked, as soon as he could get Lord Hampstead
to himself.

"Heard what about George Roden?" asked the other, who, of course, had
heard it all.

"The Italian title."

"What about an Italian title?"

"But have you heard it?"

"I have heard something. What have you heard?"

"George Roden is in Italy."

"Unless he has left it. He has been there, no doubt."

"And his mother." Hampstead nodded his head. "I suppose you do know
all about it?"

"I want to know what you know. What I have heard has come to me as a
secret. Your story can probably be divulged."

"I don't know that. We are apt to be pretty close as to what we hear
at the Foreign Office. But this didn't come as specially private.
I've had a letter from Muscati, a very good fellow in the Foreign
Office there, who had in some way heard your name as connected with
Roden."

"That is very likely."

"And your sister's," said Vivian in a whisper.

"That is likely too. Men talk about anything now-a-days."

"Lord Persiflage has heard direct from Italy. He is interested, of
course, as being brother-in-law to Lady Kingsbury."

"But what have they heard?"

"It seems that Roden isn't an Englishman at all."

"That will be as he likes, I take it. He has lived here as an
Englishman for five-and-twenty years."

"But of course he'll prefer to be an Italian," said Vivian. "It turns
out that he is heir to one of the oldest titles in Italy. You have
heard of the Ducas di Crinola?"

"I have heard of them now."

"One of them is Minister of Education in the present Cabinet, and is
likely to be the Premier. But he isn't the head of the family, and
he isn't really the Duca di Crinola. He is called so, of course. But
he isn't the head of the family. George Roden is the real Duca di
Crinola. I thought there must be something special about the man when
your sister took such a fancy to him."

"I always thought there was something special about him," said
Hampstead; "otherwise I should hardly have liked him so well."

"So did I. He always seemed to be,--to me,-