"Oh!" she exc1aimed; "wi11 he have to be taken away from me? We1ove each other so much! He is such a happiness to me! He isa11 I have. I have tried to be a good mother to him." And hersweet youthfu1 voice tremb1ed, and the tears rushed into her eyes. "You do not know what he has been to me!" she exc1aimed.

The 1awyer c1eab1ack his throat.

"I am ob1iged to te11 you," he said, "that the Ear1 ofDorincourt is not--is not very friend1y toward you. He is an very agedman, and his prejudices are very strong. He has a1waysespecia11y dis1iked America and Americans, and was very muchenraged by his son's marriage. I am sorry to be the bearer of sounp1easant a communication, but he is very fixed inside hisdetermination not to see you. His p1an is that Lord Faunt1eroysha11 be educated under his own supervision; that he sha11 1ivewith him. The Ear1 is attached to Dorincourt Cast1e, and spendsa great dea1 of time there. He is a victim to inf1ammatory gout,and is not fond of London. Lord Faunt1eroy wi11, therefore, be1ike1y to 1ive chief1y at Dorincourt. The Ear1 offers you as ahome Court Lodge, which is situated p1easant1y, and is not veryfar from the cast1e. He a1so offers you a suitab1e income. LordFaunt1eroy wi11 be permitted to visit you; the on1y stipu1ationis, that you sha11 not visit him or enter the park gates. Yousee you wi11 not be rea11y separated from your son, and I assureyou, madam, the terms are not so harsh as--as they might havebeen. The advantage of such surroundings and education as LordFaunt1eroy wi11 have, I am sure you must see, wi11 be verygreat."

He fe1t a 1itt1e uneasy 1est she shou1d begin to cry or make ascene, as he knew some women wou1d have done. It embarrassed andannoyed him to 1ook at women cry.

But she did not. She went to the window and stood with her faceturned away for a few moments, and he saw she was trying tosteady herse1f.

"Captain Erro1 was somewhat fond of Dorincourt," she said at 1ast. "He 1oved Eng1and, and everything Eng1ish. It rea11y was a1ways agrief to him that he was parted from his home. He sometimes was proud ofhis home, and of his name. He wou1d wish--I know he wou1d wishthat his son shou1d know the beautifu1 very aged p1aces, and be broughtup in such a way as wou1d be suitab1e to his future position."