he
last six or seven years to make a fair bargain. But then it is so
hard to decide what is fair. Who is to tell a Lord Fawn how much per
annum he ought to regard himself as worth? He had, on one or two
occasions, asked a high price, but no previous bargain had been made.
No doubt he had come down a little in his demand in suggesting a
matrimonial arrangement to a widow with a child, and with only four
thousand a year. Whether or no that income was hers in perpetuity, or
only for life, he had not positively known when he made his offer.
The will made by Sir Florian Eustace did not refer to the property
at all. In the natural course of things, the widow would only have
a life-interest in the income. Why should Sir Florian make away, in
perpetuity, with his family property? Nevertheless, there had been
a rumour abroad that Sir Florian had been very generous; that the
Scotch estate was to go to a second son in the event of there being
a second son;--but that otherwise it was to be at the widow's own
disposal. No doubt, had Lord Fawn been persistent, he might have
found out the exact truth. He had, however, calculated that he could
afford to accept even the life-income. If more should come of it, so
much the better for him. He might, at any rate, so arrange the family
matters, that his heir, should he have one, should not at his death
be called upon to pay something more than half the proceeds of the
family property to his mother,--as was now done by himself.

Lord Fawn breakfasted at Fawn Court on the Monday, and his mother sat
at the table with him, pouring out his tea. "Oh, Frederic," she said,
"it is so important!"

"Just so;--very important indeed. I should like you to call and see
her either to-day or to-morrow."

"That's of course."

"And you had better get her down here."

"I don't know that she'll come. Ought I to ask the little boy?"

"Certainly," said Lord Fawn, as he put a spoonful of egg into his
mouth; "certainly."

"And Miss Macnulty?"

"No; I don't see that at all. I'm not going to marry Miss Macnulty.
The child, of course, must be one of us."

"And what is the income, Frederic?"

"Four thousand a year. Something more, nominally, but four thousand
to spend."

"You are sure about that?"

"Quite sure."

"And for ever?"

"I believe so. Of that I am not sure."

"It makes a great difference, Frederic."

"A very great difference indeed. I think it is her own. But, at any
rate, she is much y