"And were good enough to hold a long conversation with me," finished George, smartly. "I see, sir, it is necessary for me to be explicit."
"It's the best course," rejoined Derrington, looking at him with hard eyes and secretly admiring his self-control.
"Then I have to state that my name is George Vane, and that I am the son of Percy Vane and Rosina Lockwood."
"Indeed! What proof have you of this?"
"The evidence of my nurse, Jane Fraser, who attended to me when my father, your eldest son, was alive. The testimony of my former guardian, Mr. Ireland, who took charge of me after the death of my mother's father. Finally, my certificate of birth, which I will show you whenever you choose."
Derrington was confounded by this calm answer. He would have blustered, but George's politeness gave him no chance of losing his temper, and without fuel it would not blaze up. "You seem to be well provided with proofs," said he, grimly. "Let us admit, for the sake of argument, that you are my grandson. But the marriage----"
"Ah, that is the difficult point! And it is unpleasant for me to talk of the subject. In justice to the memory of my mother I hold that there was a marriage."
"And in justice to my family I hold that there was none."
"In that case, Lord Derrington, we join issue."
"You are quite a lawyer, sir," sneered the old man.