o doubt he seems to have many graces.
He has had the great grace of holding his tongue because he appreciated
your character." Mary, as she read this, knew that even Mrs. Montacute
Jones could be misinformed now and then. "But I do not know that he is
in truth more gracious than others, and I think it quite as well that
Miss Mildmay should have the reward of her constancy."

But this was after Christmas, and in the meantime other occurrences had
taken place. On the 20th of December Lord George was informed by Mr.
Knox that his brother, who was then at Naples, had been struck by
paralysis, and at Mr. Knox's advice he started off for the southern
capital of Italy. The journey was a great trouble to him, but this was
a duty which he would under no circumstances neglect. The tidings were
communicated to Manor Cross, and after due consultation, were conveyed
by Lady Sarah to her mother. The poor old lady did not seem to be made
very unhappy by them. "Of course I can't go to him," she said; "how
could I do it?" When she was told that that was out of the question she
subsided again into tranquillity, merely seeming to think it necessary
to pay increased attention to Mary; for she was still quite alive to
the fact that all this greatly increased the chances that the baby
would be Popenjoy; but even in this the poor old lady's mind wandered
much, for every now and then she would speak of Popenjoy as though
there were a living Popenjoy at the present moment.

Lord George hurried off to Naples, and found that his brother was
living at a villa about eight miles from the town. He learned in the
city, before he had made his visit, that the Marquis was better, having
recovered his speech and apparently the use of his limbs. Still being
at Naples he found himself bound to go out to the villa. He did so, and
when he was there his brother refused to see him. He endeavoured to get
what information he could from the doctor; but the doctor was an
Italian, and Lord George could not understand him. As far as he could
learn the doctor thought badly of the case; but for the present his
patient had so far recovered as to know what he was about. Then Lord
George hurried back to London, having had a most uncomfortable journey
in the snow. Come what might he didn't think that he would ever again
take the trouble to pay a visit to his brother. The whole time taken on
his journey and for his sojourn in Naples was less than three weeks,
and when he r