Ellen parried all the questions that were put
to her, and affected to be as much surprised
by them as by the doctor's visit. The statement
of her son she supported, that her
husband was a native of India.

"O, but surely," said the doctor, "this
was the boy whom I attended at Meerut,
many years ago, when you and your Sahib
were living near the Begum's bridge?"

The poor woman looked at him for a
moment, then repeated his name, and burst into
tears. Her recollections crowded before her
too thickly to admit of her dissembling any
further with her visitor; and she admitted
that she was the widow of Captain Gay of
Her Majesty's— regiment of foot.

The doctor was under no promise to Ellen
to keep his discovery secret; and, feeling at
liberty to speak of it, did so, publicly,
as well as in private. The peerages were
looked into, and Black and Blue's pedigree
examined. There were the names of all the
late lord's sons, and sure enough there was
Francis's name above that of Frederick's, the
present earl; opposite to the name of Francis,
were the letters signifying, "died unmarried."
Black and Blue, of course, became an object
of great curiosity. His right to a title did not
induce him to alter his prices in any way,
and hence, he was kicked and cuffed, and
abused as much as ever, by the young
lieutenants and ensigns, who, by-the-by, always
addressed him as "my lord," and "your lordship."

"Pomatum, my lord? Pomatum, did you
say? Yes? But let me smell it. O! your
lordship calls this pomatum! I call it hog's-
lard washed in sandalwood-water. How
much? One rupee! O, you villainous
peer of the realm! are you not ashamed of
yourself?"

Another would thus address him:

"Look here, Lord Black and Blue. Why
don't you go home and upset your uncle?
Turn him out of his title and estates—eh?
You would be sure to marry some beautiful
girl."

To this Black and Blue would
respond:

"What do I want with title and beautiful
gal? This is my home, and I got good
business, good many friends, and two or three
very beautiful gal?"

"Where, Black and Blue?"

"Ah! that is my business."

"Well, what will you sell your title for?"

"Well, what you offer?"'

"One hundred rupees." (£10.)

"Say one hundred and twenty-five."

"No."

"Well, take it—there! Give money and I
give receipt. You write it out—I sign it.
Sold one title to Ensign Matheson for a
hundred rupees."

"But there are two titles, you ass; one an
earldom, and the other a viscounty."

"Well, you take the two—give two-
hundred rupees for both."

"No. The one I have already bought is
the biggest and of the best quality; the other
is the small one, and of inferior quality."

"Well, I make reduction in price—take
one with the other—and give me one
hundred and seventy-five rupees. That can't
hurt anybody that wants a title."

Would any of these lads, who had nothing
in the world beyond their pay, have
consented to an union between Black and Blue,
and one of their sisters, after he had come into
what were his rights? No! Would the poorest
and most unprincipled officers—civil and
military—in the whole of India? No!
Would any European girl of respectability,
who had lived in India—to say nothing of
the daughters of gentlemen and ladies—have
wedded the black heir to the title and estates
of the Earl of Millflower? No. Not in
India could his sable lordship have found a
virtuous white woman to accept his hand!

In due course the story of Black and
Blue's birth crept into the columns of one of
the Calcutta newspapers, and, ere long, an
attorney of the Supreme Court paid a visit to
the imperial city, and had an interview with
Black and Blue. He proposed to the box-
waller to take him to England, and establish
his claim to the estates, which he truthfully
represented as worth more than half a million
sterling—fifty lacs of rupees. He, the
attorney, would pay all expenses of the suit,
and, in the event of success, which was
certain, would receive only five per cent. or
fifty thousand pounds, leaving Black and
Blue a balance of forty-five lacs.

Black and Blue, who loved and adored
money, on hearing such a sum spoken of,
rolled his blue eyes and red tongue, and
almost fainted. But, then, to cross the black
water!—as the natives call the ocean—that
thought made him shudder and shake his
head.

The attorney represented to him that he
should live in great comfort during the voyage;
that the best cabin in the ship should be
taken for him; that he should have servants
about him; and drawing forth a number of
prints of English beauties, he exhibited them
to the gaze of Black and Blue.

Black and Blue said he would consult his
European friends. He did so, and many of
those friends dissuaded him from going to
England. Not that they had any doubt as
to the issue of his claim, if it should be
disputed; but upon the reasonable ground
that he was very happy where he was. Others
advised him to go by all means, and take up
his title, and the wealth that pertained to it.
His mother entreated him not to leave her.
But, in the end, the voice of the attorney
prevailed, and Black and Blue declared himself
ready to accompany him.

Ten thousand rupees (one thousand pounds)
were given to Ellen for her support during