wished it, as I know you do not,--could I consent to hang about the world in idleness as an Italian duke without a shilling of my own. Therefore, my darling, I purpose to come back as I went, Your own, GEORGE RODEN. Clerk in the Post Office, and entitled to consider myself as being on "H.M.S." when at work from ten till four. This letter reached Lady Frances at Hendon Hall on the return of herself and her brother from Gorse Hall. But before that time the prophecy uttered by Lord Hampstead as to the story being all over London had already been in part fulfilled. Vivian during their hunting weeks at Gorse Hall had been running continually up and down from London, where his work as private secretary to the Secretary of State had been, of course, most constant and important. He had, nevertheless, managed to have three days a week in Northamptonshire, explaining to his friends in London that he did it by sitting up all night in the country, to his friends in the country that he sat up all night in town. There are some achievements which are never done in the presence of those who hear of them. Catching salmon is one, and working all night is another. Vivian, however, managed to do what was required of him, and to enjoy his hunting at the same time. On his arrival at Gorse Hall the day before the famous accident he had a budget of news of which he was very full, but of which he at first spoke only to Hampstead. He could not, at any rate, speak of it in the presence of Lady Frances. "You have heard this, haven't you, about George Roden?" he asked, as soon as he could get Lord Hampstead to himself. "Heard what about George Roden?" asked the other, who, of course, had heard it all. "The Italian title." "What about an Italian title?" "But have you heard it?" "I have heard something. What have you heard?" "George Roden is in Italy." "Unless he has left it. He has been there, no doubt." "And his mother." Hampstead nodded his head. "I suppose you do know all about it?" "I want to know what you know. What I have heard has come to me as a secret. Your story can probably be divulged." "I don't know that. We are apt to be pretty close as to what we hear at the Foreign Office. But this didn't come as specially private. I've had a letter from Muscati, a very good fellow in the Foreign Office there, who had in some way heard your name as connected with Roden." "That is very likely." "And your sister's," said Vivian in a whisper. "That is likely too. Men talk about anything now-a-days." "Lord Persiflage has heard direct from Italy. He is interested, of course, as being brother-in-law to Lady Kingsbury." "But what have they heard?" "It seems that Roden isn't an Englishman at all." "That will be as he likes, I take it. He has lived here as an Englishman for five-and-twenty years."