Pray  don't  disturb  my  methodus,  or  I  am  done  for;
never  disturb  an  artist's  form.  I  have  told  you  what  I
see.  What  I  foresee  is  this :  you  will  have  to  cut  off
the  entail,  with  Reginald's  consent,  when  he  is  of  age,
and  make  the  Saxon  boy  Compton  your  successor.  Cut-
ting off  entails  runs  in  families,  like  everything  else;
your  grandfather  did  it,  and  so  will  you.  You  should
put  by  a  few  thousands  every  year,  that  you  may  be
able  to  do  this  without  injustice  either  to  your  Oriental
or  your  Saxon  son."

"  Never ! "  shouted  Sir  Charles :  then,  in  a  broken
voice,  "He  is  my  first-born,  and  my  idol;  his  coming
into  the  world  rescued  me  out  of  a  morbid  condition :  he
healed  my  one  great  grief.  Bar  the  entail,  and  put  his
younger  brother  in  his  place — never ! "

Mr.  Rolfe  bowed  his  head  politely,  and  left  the  sub-
ject, which  indeed  could  be  carried  no  further  without
serious  offence.
