Unless he has much altered, you will already have
heard of his relationship with various noble houses. He is, in fact,
nearly connected with persons of importance, and his ancestry is no less
distinguished than he asserts. His father is dead, and he owns a place in
Staffordshire which is almost historic. I have seen photographs of it,
and it is certainly very fine. His forebears have been noted in the
history of England since the days of the courtier who accompanied Anne of
Denmark to Scotland, and, if he is proud of his stock, it is not without
cause. So he passed his time at Oxford, cordially disliked, at the same
time respected and mistrusted; he had the reputation of a liar and a
rogue, but it could not be denied that he had considerable influence over
others. He amused, angered, irritated, and interested everyone with whom
he came in contact. There was always something mysterious about him, and
he loved to wrap himself in a romantic impenetrability. Though he knew so
many people, no one knew him, and to the end he remained a stranger in
our midst.
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