He walked across the room with long, firm, indignant strides--then stopping short, he exclaimed, “_Lettres de cachet_!--Dangerous instruments in bad hands!--As what are not?--But one good purpose they answered--they put it in the power of the head of every noble house to disown, and to deprive of the liberty to disgrace his family, any member who should manifest the will to commit desperate crime or desperate folly.” Alfred was by no means disposed to join in praise even of this use of a _lettre de cachet_, but he did not think it a proper time to argue the point, as he saw Lord Oldborough was under the influence of some strong passion. He waited in silence till his lordship should explain himself farther. His lordship unlocked a desk, and produced a letter. “Pray, Mr. Percy--Mr. Alfred Percy--have you heard any thing lately of the Marchioness of Twickenham?” “No, my lord.” Alfred, at this instant, recollected the whisper which he had once heard at chapel, and he added, “Not of late, my lord.” “There,” said Lord Oldborough, putting a letter into Alfred’s hands--“there is the sum of what I have heard.” The letter was from the Duke of Greenwich, informing Lord Oldborough that an unfortunate discovery had been made of _an affair_ between the Marchioness of Twickenham and a certain Captain Bellamy, which rendered an immediate separation necessary. “So!” thought Alfred, “my brother Godfrey had a fine escape of this fair lady!” “I have seen her once since I received that letter, and I never will see her again,” said Lord Oldborough: “that’s past--all that concerns her is past and irremediable. Now as to the future, and to what concerns myself. I have been informed--how truly, I cannot say--that some time ago a rumour, a suspicion of this intrigue was whispered in what they call the fashionable world.” “I believe that your lordship has been truly informed,” said Alfred; and he then mentioned the whisper he had heard at the chapel. “Ha!--Farther, it has been asserted to me, that a hint was given to the Marquis of Twickenham of the danger of suffering that--what is the man’s name?--Bellamy, to be so near his wife; and that the hint was disregarded.” “The marquis did very weakly or very wickedly,” said Alfred. “All wickedness is weakness, sir, you know: but to our point. I have been assured that the actual discovery of the intrigue was made to the marquis some months previously to the birth of his child--and that he forbore to take any notice of this, lest it might affect the legitimacy of that child. After the birth of the infant--a boy--subsequent indiscretions on the part of the marchioness, the marquis would make it appear, gave rise to his first suspicions. Now, sir, these are the points, of which, as my friend, and as a professional man, I desire you to ascertain the truth. If the facts are as I have thus heard, I presume no divorce can be legally obtained.” “Certainly not, my lord.”