"Nor I either, if she likes it," he answered drily--"at any rate this fire will bring matters to a crisis both as regards her affair with Eugene Trevor, as it will also a few others." "Of course you will go and see after poor Eugene to-morrow, and try and persuade him to come here." "Of course--but as to coming to stay here, I am pretty well persuaded that Eugene Trevor will have too much on his mind just now to think of visiting any where. I shall be curious to know how things will turn out." "Oh, of course my poor uncle left Eugene all the money," Mrs. de Burgh said. "Most probably, all his immense savings, but you know the estates are strictly entailed." "Yes ...," was the answer, with some hesitation; "but if Eustace Trevor does not make his appearance." "That will not alter the entail whilst he is alive, and every exertion will be made which can lead to his discovery, if his father's death does not, indeed, as there is every likelihood, make him come forward of himself." "But if he is mad?" "Pshaw!" was the only reply deigned by Mr. de Burgh, with the expression of indignant incredulity, which any such allusion always excited in him. Mrs. de Burgh was silent for a few moments, but there was a very significant display of intelligence visible on her countenance. The fact was, that she was inwardly struggling between a very womanly desire to let out the secret of which she was in possession, and the unwillingness she felt to gratify her husband by the communication of Eugene's rejection by Mary--also she felt some hesitating repugnance to relate the particulars concerning the identity of the lost Eustace Trevor with Mr. Temple, the esteemed and beloved friend of all the Seaham family. But then her silence would but for a few hours postpone the intelligence--the truth would be revealed by Mary on the first opportunity, if it transpired not through other means. So at length, after keeping it fluttering for some time on the tip of her undecided tongue, the final plunge was taken, some mysteriously oracular words were spoken, which excited Mr. de Burgh's curiosity, and led to the full and final developement of the whole story of "Mr. Temple," and every particular relating to him as received from Mary. The surprise and interest of Mr. de Burgh at this communication, was of course extreme. He was much excited, walking about the room and questioning his wife over and over again on the subject, whilst she having once broken the ice scrupled not to afford him every satisfaction in her power--nay, taxing her imagination and ingenuity to make the romantic story even more extraordinary than it really was.