“Yes,” said the Earl, in a somewhat surprised tone.
“He was considerably older than your father,” continued the lawyer. “He was a somewhat wild and extravagant man. Your lordship may possibly remember that he engaged in one of the unhappy outbreaks of those days.”
“Yes, yes,” said the Earl hastily. “I heard that he became a rebel against his king and country.”
“Well, my lord, you know many honourable men joined with him on that occasion.”
“I fancy that he was found guilty of high-treason, was he not?” said the Earl.
“Yes,” answered the lawyer. “An act of attainder was passed against him, by which he lost both title and property. Had it not been for the interest of your father, it would have been lost to the family altogether; but, as he had always proved loyal, he was allowed to inherit the property in the place of his brother, for your grandfather, if you remember, was alive at the time.”
“Yes; but of what consequence is that at the present day?” asked the Earl.
“I am coming to that, my lord,” said Mr Finlayson. “Your uncle, it appeared, married and had a son and your father, who really loved his brother, being at that time a bachelor, petitioned the Government, that in case of his death without an heir, his elder brother’s guiltless child might succeed to the property, and regain the title of which his father had been deprived.”
“Ah!” said the Earl, “I was not aware of that; but had this relative of mine (this cousin I suppose I should call him) a son?”
“That for a long time was a matter of doubt,” said the lawyer. “It appeared, however, that he, when a young man, inherited many of his father’s qualities, and was in all respects fully as wild and unmanageable as he had been, and he very soon, in consequence, brought himself within power of the law.”