The oldest Mr.Roby of all, now long since gathered to his fathers, had had two wives and two sons.

The elder son had not been left as well off as friends, or perhaps as he himself, could have wished.

But he had risen in the world by his wits, had made his way into Parliament, and had become, as all readers of these chronicles know, a staff of great strength to his party.

But he had always been a poor man.

His periods of office had been much shorter than those of his friend Rattler, and his other sources of income had not been certain.