A MOMENTOUS COMMUNICATION 315 1 have told you that he Quarrelled with his father because he s chose to marry me. As you have heard from me, 1 was the I daughter of a clergyman, and at his death took a post as , governess. Your father fell in love with me. He was the son of the Hon. James Hartley, who was brother to the Earl of Langdale. Your father had an elder brother. Mr. Hartley was a man of the type now happily less common than it was twenty years ago. He had but a younger brother's portion and I a small estate that had belonged to his mother, but he was as ; proud as if he had been a peer of the realm and owner of a I county. 1 do not know exactly what the law of England is— whether at the death of his brother your grandfather would I have inherited the title or not.

j I never talked on this subject with your father, who very I seldom alluded to matters at home. He had also two sisters.

j As he was clever and had already gained some reputation by i his explorations in Egypt, and was, moreover, an exceptionally handsome man—at least I thought so—your grandfather made up his mind that he would make a very good marriage.

When he learned of your father's affection for me he was absolutely furious, told his son that he never wished to see him again, and spoke of me in a manner that Gregory resented, and as a result they quarrelled.

Your father left the house never to enter it again. I would have released him from his promise, but he would not hear of it, and we were married. He had written for magazines and newspapers on Egyptian subjects, and thought that he could make a living for us both with his pen ; but unhappily he found that great numbers of men were trying to do the same, H and that although his papers on Egyptian discoveries had always been accepted, it was quite another thing when he t came to write on general subjects.

I We had a hard time of it, but we were very happy neverthe-; less. Then came the time when my health began to give way. I had a terrible cough, and the doctor said that I must have a change to a warmer climate. We were very poor then—so \ poor that we had only a few shillings left, and lived in one