Certainly an Heirloom The burden of his position was so heavy on Lord Fawn's mind that, on the Monday morning after leaving Fawn Court, he was hardly as true to the affairs of India as he himself would have wished.

He was resolved to do what was right,--if only he could find out what would be the right thing in his present difficulty.

Not to break his word, not to be unjust, not to deviate by a hair's breadth from that line of conduct which would be described as "honourable" in the circle to which he belonged; not to give his political enemies an opportunity for calumny,--this was all in all to him.

The young widow was very lovely and very rich, and it would have suited him well to marry her.
It would still suit him well to do so, if she would make herself amenable to reason and the laws.

He had assured himself that he was very much in love with her, and had already, in his imagination, received the distinguished heads of his party at Portray Castle.
But he would give all this up,--love, income, beauty, and castle,--without a doubt, rather than find himself in the mess of having married a wife who had stolen a necklace, and who would not make restitution.