What has happened ?" "One thing that has happened," he replied, rousing himself, "is that I have heard more family history than I knew before.

Do you care to hear that ?" "Yes; I should like to if you don't mind." "Well, you know that my father and mother came out here from England many years ago, directly after their marriage.

This marriage, it appears, was disapproved of by my mother's family--was a runaway match, indeed, and never forgiven even to the time of her death." "Oh, Maurice! and were her father and mother alive ?" "Her father was, and still is.

She was an only daughter, with but one brother; and my grandfather, who is a Norfolk gentleman of large property, expected her, reasonably enough, to marry a man who was her equal in fortune.

However, she chose to marry my father, who was then a soldier, a poor lieutenant, with little money, and equally little prospect of rising.