t of Frank Greystock's attack upon
him, and of Frank Greystock's cousin. There had been a time in
which he had feared that the two cousins would become man and wife.
At this moment he uttered a malediction against the member for
Bobsborough, which might perhaps have been spared had the member
been now willing to take the lady off his hands. Then the door was
opened, and the messenger told him that Mrs. Hittaway was in the
waiting-room. Mrs. Hittaway was, of course, at once made welcome to
the Under-Secretary's own apartment.

Mrs. Hittaway was a strong-minded woman,--the strongest-minded
probably of the Fawn family,--but she had now come upon a task
which taxed all her strength to the utmost. She had told her mother
that she would tell "Frederic" what she thought about his proposed
bride, and she had now come to carry out her threat. She had asked
her brother to come and dine with her, but he had declined. His
engagements hardly admitted of his dining with his relatives. She had
called upon him at the rooms he occupied in Victoria Street,--but
of course she had not found him. She could not very well go to his
club;--so now she had hunted him down at his office. From the very
commencement of the interview Mrs. Hittaway was strong-minded. She
began the subject of the marriage, and did so without a word of
congratulation. "Dear Frederic," she said, "you know that we have all
got to look up to you."

"Well, Clara,--what does that mean?"

"It means this,--that you must bear with me, if I am more anxious as
to your future career than another sister might be."

"Now I know you are going to say something unpleasant."

"Yes, I am, Frederic. I have heard so many bad things about Lady
Eustace!"

The Under-Secretary sat silent for awhile in his great arm-chair.
"What sort of evil things do you mean, Clara?" he asked at last.
"Evil things are said of a great many people,--as you know. I am sure
you would not wish to repeat slanders."

Mrs. Hittaway was not to be silenced after this fashion. "Not
slanders, certainly, Frederic. But when I hear that you intend to
raise this lady to the rank and position of your wife, then of course
the truth or falsehood of these reports becomes a matter of great
moment to us all. Don't you think you had better see Mr. Camperdown?"

"I have seen him."

"And what does he say?"

"What should he say? Lady Eustace has, I believe, made some mistake
about the condition of her property, and peop