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 it prove true. Have you ever seen or heard of a certain Henry Lorimer, who lives not in the best society, but occasionally hangs about it?"

"You mean a tall, dark Mr. Lorimer, who is a connection of Lord Teviot's after a fashion, a natural son of Lord Robert's, Teviot's great-uncle. I believe that old Lord Robert was a shocking old man. Luckily for Teviot, he was never married."

"Ah!" said Colonel Stuart; "but this leads, unfortunately, to my mysterious report." And then he went on to explain to Lady Walden that this Henry Lorimer, after having consented to pass for some years as an illegitimate scion of the Teviot house, had suddenly asserted a private marriage of his father's, which he was prepared to prove, and consequently to lay claim to the Teviot title and estates. "This intelligence came to me through an odd, inexplicable channel; it is not yet generally known, but it soon must be, and I leave it to you to judge whether your sister had better hear it now, or on Teviot's return. It may be kept a secret a few days longer."

Colonel Stuart's intelligence always did come to him in strange, mysterious ways: but yet it generally proved to be correct, and Amelia felt that he was only asserting what he actually knew. She questioned him as to the grounds on which Mr. Lorimer had raised his claim; but on that point Colonel Stuart could or would say nothing. He confined himself to sighs and shakings of the head, after the fashion of Lord Burleigh, and an occasional word of pity for Lady Teviot.

She had watched this colloquy with great interest, and eagerly followed her sister out of the room when Amelia professed fatigue as an excuse for retiring early.

"Well, Amelia, what is it? Tell me at once. Is it anything about Lady Portmore? or about Teviot's health?"

"Neither the one nor the other, darling, and the story