e of Leonidas Force with our second daughter, much
better than it ever could be by the marriage of any one, whether Leonidas
Force, Angus Anglesea, or another, with our eldest daughter."

"I wish you would tell me, then, dear, for I am in a maze."

"Have you forgotten that the Earldom of Enderby, failing male heirs,
descends to the female line? 'falls to the distaff,' as old writers call
it?"

"No, I have not forgotten it, for I never knew it," replied honest Abel,
lifting his eyebrows.

"Know it now, then! I have never spoken of this matter to you before;
because, indeed, I have seldom thought of it at all, and nothing has
occurred until now to recall it to my mind; but it is a fact of too
serious importance to be overlooked at this crisis. Reflect now, that
there is only one frail life between me and the heirship of my father's
earldom--the life of my epileptic half-brother Francis, who, inheriting
the malady of his beautiful young mother who perished in her youth, has
declared that he will never marry to perpetuate such a misfortune."

"We will not, dear, speculate on the possible early death of your
brother," said Abel Force, gravely and tenderly, but without the slightest
shade of rebuke in his tones.

"No, we will not speculate; but we cannot avoid thinking of the possible,
and, indeed, the very probable future of our eldest daughter, and guide
ourselves accordingly," replied the lady.

"In what way?" gently inquired her husband.

"In this way, then: We must admit that it is not at all unlikely that our
eldest daughter may live to inherit her grandfather's earldom and become
Countess of Enderby in her own right. In which case, should she be living
here, the wife of an American citizen, she must either lose all the
privileges of her rank and title or else go to England and reside upon her
estates there, leaving this place in the hands of strangers. I do not say
that she would be legally obliged to take this alternative, but she would
be conventionally and practically constrained to do so. Whereas, if she
should marry an English gentleman, all would be well with her; she would
then in any case make her home in England, and when she should inherit the
Earldom of Enderby she could enter upon her new dignities without any
disturbance of her domestic or social life. And if, in addition to this,
Le should wed Wynnette, all would be well with them and with Mondreer; the
old estate would remain in the old name. Don