It was likely to affect his claim for the title, because he was bound to make it known.

When he came to think it over he must have realized that it would greatly prejudice his claim.

A body like the House of Lords would do their utmost to avoid bestowing an ancient name on a man, who, by his own showing, lived with a married woman for twenty-five years, and had an illegitimate daughter by her.

These are painful things to speak of, but they were bound to come out.

My own feeling is that Robert had a bitter awakening to these facts when it was too late--when he had made the disclosure.