Is he married to her yet ?" "No, and he never ought to be.

He has gone the way of the rest of the family--or, in plainer words, he has gone mad." "Mad! But I ought not to be surprised at hearing that, after the reports about him in England." "I speak from no reports; I speak from what he has said and done before me, and before hundreds of other people.

Surely you must have heard of it ?" "Never.

I have been out of the way of news from Naples or England for months past." "Then I have a very extraordinary story to tell you.

You know, of course, that Alfred had an uncle, Stephen Monkton.