‘For a penny newspaper!  Is that respectable?’

’His aunt, Miss Stanbury, seemed to think not.  But I suppose men of education do write for such things now.  He says himself that it is very precarious as an employment.’

‘It must be precarious, Emily.  And has he got nothing?’

‘Not a penny of his own,’ said Mrs Trevelyan.

Then Lady Rowley had thought again of Mr Glascock, and of the family title, and of Markhams.  And she thought of her present troubles, and of the Mandarins, and the state of Sir Marmaduke’s balance at the bankers and of the other girls, and of all there was before her to do.  Here had been a very Apollo among suitors kneeling at her child’s feet, and the foolish girl had sent him away for the sake of a young man who wrote for a penny newspaper!  Was it worth the while of any woman to bring up daughters with such results?  Lady Rowley, therefore, when she was first introduced to Hugh Stanbury, was not prepared to receive him with open arms.

On this occasion the task of introducing him fell to Mrs Trevelyan, and was done with much graciousness.  Emily knew that Hugh Stanbury was her friend, and would sympathise with her respecting her child.  ’You have heard what has happened to me?’ she said.  Stanbury, however, had heard nothing of that kidnapping of the child.  Though to the Rowleys it seemed that such a deed of iniquity, done in the middle of London, must have been known to all the world, he had not as yet been told of it, and now the story was given to him.  Mrs Trevelyan herself told it, with many tears and an agony of fresh grief; but still she told it as to one whom she regarded as a sure friend, and from whom she knew that she would receive sympathy.  Sir Marmaduke sat by the while, still gloomy and out of humour.  Why was their family sorrow to be laid bare to this stranger?

‘It is the cruellest thing I ever heard,’ said Hugh.

‘A dastardly deed,’ said Lady Rowley.

‘But we all feel that for the time he can hardly know what he does,’ said Nora.

‘And where is the child?’ Stanbury asked.

‘We have not the slightest idea,’ said Lady Rowley.  ’I have seen him, and he refuses to tell us.  He did say that my daughter should see her boy; but he now accompanies his offer with such conditions that it is impossible to listen to him.’

‘And where is he?’

’We do not know where he lives.  We can reach him only through a certain man.’

‘Ah, I know the man,’ said Stanbury; ’one who was a policeman once.  His name is Bozzle.’

‘That is the man,’ said Sir Marmaduke.  ‘I have seen him.’

‘And of course he will tell us nothing but what he is told to tell us,’ continued Lady Rowley.  ’Can there be anything so horrible as this that a wife should be bound to communicate with her own husband respecting her own child through such a man as that?’

‘One might possibly find out where he keeps the child,’ said Hugh.