"I wonder what the law is, over there, with regard to legitimacy?" mused Mr. Fauntleroy, his eyes seeing an imaginary Holland in the distance. "But, Mr. Carr, this is waste of time," he added, rousing himself; "the plain case round which the question will revolve, is not so much whether your father and mother were married, as whether it can be _proved_ that they were. The law, in a case like this, requires proof actual--and very right that it should." "I suppose there will not be the slightest difficulty in proving it," said Robert Carr, resenting the very suggestion. "Can _you_ prove it? Do you know where it took place?" The young man shook his head. "I never heard where. It can be readily found out." "Did you ever question your father upon the point?" "No; it was not likely I should, seeing that my attention was never drawn to any doubt of the sort." "Well, Westerbury has never entertained any doubt the other way," said the lawyer. "It is not agreeable to say these things to your face, Mr. Carr; but there's no help for it; and the sooner the question is set at rest for you, one way or the other, the better. I should not think there's a single person living still in Westerbury, who recollects the circumstances as they took place, that would believe your father married Miss Hughes after she went away with him." "It is probable they were married before they did go away," spoke Robert Carr, hating more than he liked to show the being compelled to this discussion. "That, I can answer for, they were not. When they left here she was Martha Ann Hughes." "Mr. Fauntleroy is right so far," interposed Mr. Arkell. "They were not married when they left Westerbury: on that point there can be no mistake. The question that remains is, were they married subsequent to it?" "They must have been," said Robert Carr. "But there is no must in the case," dissented the lawyer. "The probabilities are that they were not: the belief is such." "I do not see why you should persistently seek to cast this opprobrium on my father and mother, Mr. Fauntleroy!" exclaimed Robert Carr, his hollow face lighting up with reproach. "Bless you, my good sir, I don't seek to cast it," said the lawyer, good-humouredly. "Facts are facts. If you can prove that Robert Carr married Miss Hughes, and your own legal birth with it, you will take the property; but if you can't prove it, Squire Carr must keep possession, and things will remain as they are. Where's the use of shutting our eyes to the truth?" "There can be no doubt whatever of the marriage. I am sure of it; I would stake all my hopes upon it here and--I was going to say--hereafter." "But you so speak only according to your belief, sir? You have no shadow of proof." "True; but----"