872 WITH KITCHENEK IN THE SOUDAN I think that I have ample proof, sir. Here is the certificate of my father’s marriage, and the copies of the registers of my birth and baptism. Here is the journal of my father from the time he was taken prisoner till his death ; here are his letter to my mother, and letters to his father, brother, and sisters, which were to be forwarded by her should she choose to return to England. Here are two affidavits—the one from a gentleman who has known me from childhood, the other from the woman who nursed me, and who remained with our family till I reached the Soudan. Here also is a letter that I found among my mother’s papers, written from Khartoum, in which my father speaks of resuming the name of Hartley if things went well there.”

“ Then, sir,” Mr. Tufton said, “ I think I can congratulate you upon obtaining the title; but at the same time I will ask you to leave these papers with me for an hour. I will put everything else aside and go through them. You understand I am not doubting your word, but of course it is necessary to ascertain the exact purport of these letters and documents.

If they are as you say, the evidence in favour of your claim would be overwhelming. Of course it is necessary that we should be most cautious. We have for upwards of a hundred years been solicitors to the family, and as such have contested all applications from the junior branch of the family that the title should be declared vacant by the death of the last Marquis, who would be your uncle. We have been the more anxious to do so, as we understand the next claimant is a young man of extravagant habits and in no way worthy to succeed to the title.”

“ I will return in an hour and a half, sir,” Gregory said, rising. “I may say that the contents of this pocket-book, although intensely interesting to myself as a record of my father, do not bear upon the title. They are a simple record of his life from the time when the army of Hicks Pasha was destroyed to the date of his own murder at Hebbeh. The last entry was made before he landed. I mention this as it may save you time in going through the papers.”