It need not affect our friendship."
"Wait a bit. There's another question I want to ask. What had Lord
Polperro to do with the Quodlings?"
"The Quodlings? Ah! I grieve to tell you that Francis Quodling, an
illegitimate half-brother of our friend, had of late given trouble
to his lordship. Francis Quodling has long been in Queer Street; he
seemed to think that he had a claim--a natural claim, I might say--on
Lord Polperro. When you first met his lordship he had been
seeing the other Quodling on this matter. Pure kindness of heart--
he was very kind-hearted. He wanted to heal a breach between the
brothers, and, if possible, to get Francis a partnership in the
firm--your firm. I fear he exerted himself vainly."
"Greenacre!" exclaimed the man of commerce, thumping the table.
"It's beastly hard lines that that woman and her daughter shouldn't
have a penny!"
"I agree with you. By the by, you have told her?"
"Yes, this morning."
"Gammon, you are so impulsive. Still, I suppose she had to know.
Yes, I suppose it was inevitable.
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