all? But he had not received these offers graciously,
and now the current of Germain opinion was running against him. Of the
general propriety of Lord George's conduct ever since his birth there
had never been a doubt, and the Greens and Brabazons and Ansleys were
gradually coming round to the opinion that he was right to make
enquiries as to the little Popenjoy's antecedents. They had all taken
kindly to Mary, though they were, perhaps, beginning to think that she
was a little too frivolous, too fond of pleasure for Lord George. Mrs.
Patmore Green, who was the wife of a very rich man, and the mother of a
very large family, and altogether a very worthy woman, almost at once
began to whisper to Mary--"Well, my dear, what news from Italy?"

"I never hear anything about it, Mrs. Green," said Mary, with a laugh.

"And yet the Dean is so eager, Lady George!"

"I won't let papa talk to me about it. Lord Brotherton is quite welcome
to his wife and his son, and everything else for me--only I do wish he
would have remained away."

"I think we all wish that, my dear."

Mr. Patmore Green, and Colonel Ansley, and Lady Brabazon all spoke a
word or two in the course of the evening to Lord George on the same
subject, but he would only shake his head and say nothing. At that time
this affair of his wife's was nearer to him and more burdensome to him
than even the Popenjoy question. He could not rid himself of this new
trouble even for a moment. He was still thinking of it when all the
enquiries about Popenjoy were being made. What did it matter to him how
that matter should be settled, if all the happiness of his life were to
be dispelled by this terrible domestic affliction. "I am afraid this
quarrel with his brother will be too much for Lord George," said Mr.
Patmore Green to his wife, when the company were gone. "He was not able
to say a word the whole evening."

"And I never knew her to be more pleasant," said Mrs. Patmore Green.
"She doesn't seem to care about it the least in the world." The husband
and wife did not speak a word to each other as they went home in the
brougham. Mary had done her duty by sustaining herself in public, but
was not willing to let him think that she had as yet forgiven the
cruelty of his suspicions.

CHAPTER XXXV.

"I DENY IT."

During the whole of that night Lord George lay suffering from his
troubles, and his wife lay thinking about them. Though the matter
affected her future life