through HER."
"It did--this was the Amelyns' place; but the oldest son or nearest male
heir always succeeds to the property and title."
"Do you mean to say that the present Lord Beverdale turned that old lady
out?"
Miss Amelyn looked shocked. "I mean to say," she said gravely, "Lady
Beverdale would have had to go when her own son became of age, had
he lived." She paused, and then said timidly, "Isn't it that way in
America?"
"Dear no!" Miss Desborough had a faint recollection that there was
something in the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence against
primogeniture. "No! the men haven't it ALL their own way THERE--not
much!"
Miss Amelyn looked as if she did not care to discuss this problem. After
a few moments Sadie continued, "You and Lord Algernon are pretty old
friends, I guess?"
"No," replied Miss Amelyn. "He came once or twice to the Priory for the
holidays, when he was quite a boy at Marlborough--for the family weren't
very well off, and his father was in India. He was a very shy boy, and
of course no one ever thought of him succeeding."
Miss Desborough felt half inclined to be pleased with this, and yet half
inclined to resent this possible snubbing of her future husband. But
they were nearing the village, and Miss Amelyn turned the conversation
to the object of her visit. It was a new village--an unhandsome village,
for all that it stood near one of the gates of the park. It had been
given over to some mines that were still worked in its vicinity, and to
the railway, which the uncle of the present earl had resisted; but the
railway had triumphed, and the station for Scrooby Priory was there.
There was a grim church, of a blackened or weather-beaten stone, on the
hill, with a few grim Amelyns reposing cross-legged in the chancel, but
the character of the village was as different from the Priory as if it
were in another county. They stopped at the rectory, where Miss Amelyn
provided herself with certain doles and gifts, which the American
girl would have augmented with a five-pound note but for Miss Amelyn's
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