I repeat, Alice, you are doing the right thing."
"I do it," said Alice, "for two reasons. One is that it makes me
happy. The other is, that believing that my husband still lives, I
wish to bring up his son so that he will be proud of him."
Florence, after awhile, made a confidante of Aunt Ella and told her
about Captain Hornaby. She confessed her interest in him and said
that notwithstanding his crime she loved him, but that her father
would never forgive him.
"What part of England did he come from?" asked Aunt Ella.
"He said from Hornaby--that the place was named after his family.
Their home was called Hornaby Hook, because, as he said, it was built
upon a promontory in the form of a hook."
"What is his father's name?"
"Sir Wilfred, and Reginald is the fourth son."
"No chance of his ever getting the title," remarked Aunt Ella.
"I wonder where Hornaby Hook is," said Florence.
"That's easily found out. Linda has _Burke's Peerage_ and I'll write
to her to-day."
Lady Fernborough more than kept her promise, for in her letter she
told the Countess Florence's unhappy love story besides asking for
information about the Hornaby family.
Linda's reply was a revelation.
"MY DEAR AUNT ELLA,
"I was very sorry to hear that Quincy's sister has been so
unfortunate in her love affair, and astonished to find that Captain
Hornaby is the cause of it.
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