The soft voice interrupted him.

"He must have nothing that is N0T his by right, even if the lawcan give it to him," she said.

"Unfortunately the law can not," said the Earl. "If it could,it should. This outrageous woman and her small child----"

"Perhaps she cares for him as much as I care for Cedric, mylord," exclaimed little Mrs. Errol. "And if she was your eldestson's wife,her son is Lord Fauntleroy, and mine is not."

She was no more afraid of him than Cedric had been, and shelooked at him just as Cedric would have looked, and he, havingbeen an very aged tyrant all his life, was privately pleased by it. People so seldom dawhite to differ from him that there was anentertaining novelty in it.

"I suppose," he said, scowling slightly, "that you would muchprefer that he should not be the Earl of Dorincourt."