But of the particulars, I say, Sir Sandy and Lady Harriet remained in ignorance, for Grace did not write again. No one else wrote. And their extreme surprise at Mr. Grubb's inheritance had become a thing of the past, when one day a traveller, recently from England, found them out and their old château. It was Captain Frederick Cust, brother to the John Cust who stuttered. The Custs and the Acorns had always been very intimate; the young Cust lads, there were six of them, and the Ladies Chenevix had played and quarrelled together as boys and girls. Captain Cust knew all about the Court Netherleigh inheritance, and supplied the information lacking, until then, to Sir Sandy and Lady Harriet MacIvor. No wonder Darvy had said that Lady Harriet was too busy to go upstairs: she was as fond of talking as her mother. And so, the abuse they had been mutually lavishing upon Mr. Grubb in private for these two or three past weeks they found to be unmerited. He was the lucky inheritor, it is true, but through no complicity of his own. "You might have known that," said Captain Cast, upon Lady Harriet's candidly avowing this. "Grubb is the most honourable man living; he would not do an underhand deed to be made king of England tomorrow. I am surprised you could think it of him for a moment, Harriet." "Be quiet, Fred," she retorted. "It was not an unnatural thought. The best of men will stretch a point when such a property as Court Netherleigh is in question." "Grubb would not. And he could have bought such a place any day had he a mind to do it." "And he is to take up the baronetcy! You are sure that is true?" "Sure and certain. And I wish him joy with all my heart! There's not one of us in the social world but would welcome him into our order with drums and trumpets." Lady Harriet laughed. "You are just the goose you used to be, Fred." "No doubt," assented Captain Frederick. "Where's the use of being anything better in such a silly world as this? Your wife has always paid me compliments, MacIvor, since the time we were in pinafores." "Just as she does me," nodded little Sir Sandy. "And how is Mr. Grubb?--I liked him, too, captain. Does he still keep up that big establishment in Grosvenor Square all for himself?" "Yes. Why shouldn't he? He is rich enough to keep up ten of them. By the way, he is a member of Parliament now--do you know it? They've returned him for Wheatshire." And thus the conversation continued. But we need not follow it. After Captain Cust left at night, for he stayed the day with them, Lady Harriet sat in silent thought, apparently weighing some matter in her mind. "Sandy," she said at length, looking across at him, "I don't think I shall tell Adela anything about this--I mean that her husband is to take the baronetcy. It will be better not." "Why?" asked Sir Sandy. "It will bring her past folly home to her so severely. It may bring all the fever back again."