"By the way," said Staunton, "what Maxwells were those who seem to have been rather unpleasantly connected with your family history? My mother was a Yorkshire Maxwell." "Was she?" said Guy. He was quite silent for a noticeable moment, then he said, with the little ring in his voice which people called satirical, "This is very interesting. Did your mother come from the Rilston neighbourhood? When we've settled the fact, we can consider of our future relations to each other." The Stauntons were not people of pedigree; but Cuthbert produced facts enough to prove that his mother had really belonged to a family which had originally owned a small estate called Ouseley, not far from Rilston. "That's the place," said Guy. "But as for Waynflete," said Cuthbert, "my forefather must have had to drop it again pretty quickly. I suppose he played cards too often. I never heard of its having been in the family. My grandfather Maxwell was a country doctor, and didn't think family traditions consistent with hard work. I never thought about the matter, till Miss Vyner was so much excited at discovering your hereditary foe." "I don't myself care about traditions," said Guy, in a slow, soft, argumentative tone that told of his county. "I don't, you know, unfortunately share my aunt's profound respect for the house of Waynflete. She is an ancestor worth having, I grant you I think, if she knew, she'd make a Christian effort to receive you kindly; but we won't tell her. As for me, I object to feuds and obligations--and--ghosts, and heredity's a hobby that's overridden nowadays. We won't part for ever." He turned his soft eyes round on his friend, with a smile, but Staunton, who had spoken without a serious thought, saw with surprise that he had thought the avowal necessary. "Well, my dear boy," he said, "I'm glad you don't say, `Here's Vauxhall Bridge and there's Vauxhall Bridge Road--take the tram, I take the 'bus. Farewell.' But we must hurry up; it's getting late." When they came into the Abbey, Guy looked all round him in a searching, attentive way. He joined in the singing with a voice full and sweet enough to do justice to his Yorkshire blood, and when it was over, and they parted, said, as if it was a thing to be thankfully noted, "I have very much enjoyed it."