He greatly disliked the idea of putting himself into
the Dean's hands; of becoming a creature of the Dean's. He felt the
Dean to be stronger than himself, endowed with higher spirit and more
confident hopes. But he also felt that the Dean was--the son of a
stable-keeper. Though he had professed to his brother that he could own
the fact without shame, still he was ashamed. It was not the Dean's
parentage that troubled him so much as a consciousness of some defect,
perhaps only of the absence of some quality, which had been caused by
that parentage. The man looked like a gentleman, but still there was a
smell of the stable. Feeling this rather than knowing it Lord George
resisted for awhile the idea of joining forces with the Dean; but when
it was suggested to him as an alternative that he himself must go to
Mr. Stokes and explain his suspicions in the lawyer's room, then he
agreed that, as a first step, he would consult the Dean. The Dean, no
doubt, would have his own lawyer, who would not care a fig for the
Marquis.

It was thought by them at Cross Hall that the Dean would come over to
them, knowing that his son-in-law was in the country; but the Dean did
not come, probably waiting for the same compliment from Lord George. On
the Friday Lord George rode into Brotherton early, and was at the
Deanery by eleven o'clock. "I thought I should see you," said the Dean,
in his pleasantest manner. "Of course, I heard from Mary that you were
down here. Well;--what do you think of it all?"

"It is not pleasant."

"If you mean your brother, I am bound to say, that he is very
unpleasant. Of course you have seen him?"

"Yes; I have seen him."

"And her ladyship?"

"No. He said that as I do not speak Italian it would be no good."

"And he seemed to think," said the Dean, "that as I do speak Italian it
would be dangerous. Nobody has seen her then?"

"Nobody."

"That promises well! And the little lord?"

"He was brought down to me."

"That was gracious! Well; what of him. Did he look like a Popenjoy?"

"He is a nasty little black thing."

"I shouldn't wonder."

"And looks----. Well, I don't want to abuse the poor child, and God
knows, if he is what he pretends to be, I would do anything to serve
him."

"That's just it, George," said the Dean, very seriously,--seriously,
and with his kindest manner, being quite disposed to make himself
agreeable to Lord George, if Lord George would be agreeable to him.
"That's just it