coming one
of interest to the public. It was hinted here and there that there was
"a screw loose" about this young Popenjoy, who had just been brought
from Italy, and that Lord George would have to look to it. Of course
they who were connected with Brothershire were more prone to talk of it
than others, and Mr. Houghton, who had heard and said a good deal about
it, thought that he was only being civil to Lord George in seeming to
take part against the Marquis.

But Lord George felt it to be matter of offence that any outsider
should venture to talk about his family. "If people would only confine
themselves to subjects with which they are acquainted, it would be very
much better," he said;--and then almost immediately took his leave.

"That's all regular nonsense, you know," Mr. Houghton said as soon as
he was alone with his wife. "Of course people are talking about it.
Your father says that Brotherton must be mad."

"That's no reason why you should come and tell Lord George what people
say. You never have any tact."

"Of course I'm wrong; I always am," said the husband, swallowing his
glass of sherry and then taking his departure.

Lord George was now in a very uneasy state of mind. He intended to be
cautious,--had intended even to be virtuous and self-denying; and yet,
in spite of his intentions, he had fallen into such a condition of
things with Mr. Houghton's wife, that were the truth to be known, he
would be open to most injurious proceedings. To him the love affair
with another man's wife was more embarrassing even than pleasant. Its
charm did not suffice to lighten for him the burden of the wickedness.
He had certain inklings of complaint in his own mind against his own
wife, but he felt that his own hands should be perfectly clean before
he could deal with those inklings magisterially and maritally. How
would he look were she to turn upon him and ask him as to his own
conduct with Adelaide Houghton? And then into what a sea of trouble
had he not already fallen in this matter of his brother's marriage? His
first immediate duty was that of writing to his elder sister, and he
expressed himself to her in strong language. After telling her all that
he had heard from the lawyer, he spoke of himself and of the Dean. "It
will make me very unhappy," he wrote. "Do you remember what Hamlet
says:

'O, cursed spite,
That ever I was born to set it right!'

"I feel like that altogethe