Lord Brabazon, whose peerage had descended to him in a direct line from the time of the Plantagenets, was one of those unfortunate nobles of whom England is burdened with but few, who have no means equal to their rank.

He had married late in life, and had died without a male heir.

The title which had come from the Plantagenets was now lapsed; and when the last lord died about four hundred a year was divided between his two daughters.
The elder had already made an excellent match, as regarded fortune, in marrying Sir Hugh Clavering; and the younger was now about to make a much more splendid match in her alliance with Lord Ongar.

Of them I do not know that it is necessary to say much more at present.
And of Harry Clavering it perhaps may not be necessary to say much in the way of description.

The attentive reader will have already gathered nearly all that should be known of him before he makes himself known by his own deeds.