"I see nothing at all improbable about it," he said. "We may as well face
that fact at once. I will be here at three o'clock, Mr. Carless. I
confess I should like to meet my cousin--if she really is that!"
"Your Lordship takes it admirably!" exclaimed Mr. Carless. "But
really--well, I don't know. However, we shall see. But, 'pon my honour,
it's most odd! One claimant disposed of, another, a more formidable one,
comes on!"
"But we have not disposed of the first, have we?" suggested Lord
Ellingham.
"I don't anticipate any trouble in that quarter," answered Mr. Carless.
"As I said to those two who have just gone out--send or bring the man
here, and we'll tell in one minute if he's what he claims to be!"
"But--how?" asked Lord Ellingham. "You seem very certain."
"Dead certain!" asserted Mr. Carless. He looked round his callers and
laughed. "I may as well tell you," he said. "Portlethwaite drew me aside
to remind me of it. The real Lord Marketstoke, if he were alive, could
easily be identified. He lost a finger when a mere boy."
"Ah!" exclaimed Mr. Pawle. "Good--excellent! Best bit of evidence I've
heard of.
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