s gone,--or going. The Mildmays were still there with the Baroness,
and the Houghtons, and the black influx from the cathedral town. A few
other new comers had arrived on the previous day. Mr. Groschut, who was
sitting next to the Canon, had declared his opinion that, after all,
the Marquis of Brotherton was a very affable nobleman. "He's civil
enough," said the Canon, "when people do just what he wants."

"A man of his rank and position of course expects to have some
deference paid to him."

"A man of his rank and position should be very careful of the rights of
others, Mr. Groschut."

"I'm afraid his brother did make himself troublesome. You're one of the
family, Canon, and therefore, of course, know all about it."

"I know nothing at all about it, Mr. Groschut."

"But it must be acknowledged that the Dean behaved very badly.
Violence!--personal violence! And from a clergyman,--to a man of his
rank!"

"You probably don't know what took place in that room. I'm sure I
don't. But I'd rather trust the Dean than the Marquis any day. The
Dean's a man!"

"But is he a clergyman?"

"Of course he is; and a father. If he had been very much in the wrong
we should have heard more about it through the police."

"I cannot absolve a clergyman for using personal violence," said Mr.
Groschut, very grandly. "He should have borne anything sooner than
degrade his sacred calling." Mr. Groschut had hoped to extract from the
Canon some expression adverse to the Dean, and to be able to assure
himself that he had enrolled a new ally.

"Poor dear little fellow!" aunt Ju was saying to Mrs. Holdenough. Of
course she was talking of Popenjoy. "And you never saw him?"

"No; I never saw him."

"I am told he was a lovely child."

"Very dark, I fancy."

"And all those--those doubts? They're all over now?"

"I never knew much about it, Miss Mildmay. I never inquired into it.
For myself, I always took it for granted that he was Popenjoy. I think
one always does take things for granted till somebody proves that it is
not so."

"The Dean, I take it, has given it up altogether," said Mrs. Houghton
to old Lady Brabazon, who had come down especially to meet her nephew,
the Marquis, but who had hardly dared to speak a word to him on the
previous evening, and was now told that he was gone. Lady Brabazon for
a week or two had been quite sure that Popenjoy was not Popenjoy, being
at that time under the influence of a very strong letter from L