Dick felt this state of mind difficult to understand, but after much arguing, and some tears, he gave the subject up in despair. He supposed it was because she was a great lady, and great ladies, be they never so charming, must have their foibles. To a great lord, now, like Giles's master, what an acceptable subject was dear Giles! The veto placed on Giles's praises prevented Dick from telling his story very well. She seemed to find very unsatisfactory points in it. For instance, why had not Giles honestly given Dick his master's name? Why all that mystery with the token, pray? And what was the token--a coin? But Dick declared he had not noticed it much. He did not think it was a coin. It had not a crowned head on. Giles's master had not given it back to him. Then she asked if Dick could not describe Giles's master. Dick's description, though it seemed to him truthful, was not convincing, the most lucid facts being that he had worn a black velvet suit, and did not look like a soldier. But he had said before that Giles had told him that his master was a soldier, and her Ladyship shook her head doubtfully. And if Giles was not at Dent when it was seen by the relief-party, where was he? Dead, Dick supposed. She did not seem to think so. She was sure the boy was telling the truth as far as he knew it, but she was certain he had in some way been grossly deceived. Poor, simple country boy, he had been sacrificed to someone's private ends, she thought. For the Royalist proclamation she had nothing but contempt. "Dick," she said one day, "I believe your cousin John Dent's at the bottom of this trouble." "Oh, how, Cousin Dorothy?" he asked with surprise. "Why, I believe he had you stolen from Lumley, and set Master Purvis to take you to the Seven Thorns. For, you see, he would be the next baronet were you lost for ever." Dick pondered this proposition for some time, but could not accept it. He firmly believed Master Purvis had saved him from the Provost-Marshal--the Provost-Marshal with whose justice the gentleman at Lumley had threatened him if they failed to find Giles. Master Purvis might have chosen a better home for him. But perhaps that cruel man, Newton, had taken him to friends of his own to save trouble. He had evidently been well known to the Tomlinsons. He could not connect Captain Dent with the business in any way. He did not think he had been at Lumley, and Master Purvis had never mentioned his name. "You have no other brothers, Dick?" asked her Ladyship. "I mean--John Dent is your heir?" "Yes," said Dick, "he is my heir." "Then you have no other brothers, Dick?" she persisted. "I never had either brother or sister of my own, madam." "Not of your own?" she repeated. "No. I had a step-brother. He died--oh, it will be six years ago now!--in France." "Do you remember him?" she asked, looking into the fire. "No, Cousin Dorothy. I never saw him." "How was that, Dick?"