it, don't you?" suggested Parslewe. "So do these young people. I'll tell you. Old Matthew Palkeney made me a present of it."
"Ah!" exclaimed Sir Charles. "You were acquainted with him?"
"Don't I tell you I've got Palkeney blood in my veins?" said Parslewe. "My great-grandmother was a Palkeney—born in this house. I have the Palkeney pedigree, and the Parslewe pedigree—at your service, any time. And when I came to the Crown, on the occasion you've just mentioned, it was just out of curiosity to see this place. I introduced myself to old Matthew. I'd brought my pedigree with me; we compared notes and family documents, and enjoyed ourselves. I dined here with him one night, and we went thoroughly into family history."
"He was convinced of your relationship?" asked Sir Charles.
"He couldn't be anything else," said Parslewe, drily. "The thing's there—it's fact. But we didn't dwell overmuch on that, once it was settled. We were more concerned with our mutual taste for old things. And the next day the old man
