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that?”
    “Marriage, my lord. There’s a great many wealthy men of industry who’d provide very ’andsome dowries for their daughters if those dowries brought—forgive my bluntness, my lord—a title into the family.”
    Kittridge stared at him. “Let me make sure I understand you, Chivers. Are you saying that any nobleman whose pockets are to let can arrange a lucrative marriage just on the basis of his
title
!”
    “Exactly so. It’s been done a number of times. Ye must surely ’ave ’eard of such alliances.”
    “No. I’ve been away for years. And even before my soldiering days I didn’t pay much heed to social gossip.”
    “Well, ye may take my word that such marriages ain’t uncommon. The cases I’m familiar with seemed to ’ave worked out well enough. The Staffords of Lancashire, for example, restored their entire estate by this very sort of an arrangement.”
    “Indeed?” Kittridge’s eyebrows lifted sardonically. “What a mercenary time we seem to be living in, to be sure.” He drew on his other glove and rose proudly from his seat. “I appreciate your advice, Mr. Chivers, but as far as this last option is concerned, I’m not interested. My title is the only thing I have left that is unencumbered. I don’t think I care to put it up for sale.” He picked up the papers fromJennings’s desk and walked swiftly to the door. “Good day, gentlemen. Thank you for your time. When I make up my mind about what to do, Jennings, I’ll call on you again.”
    Mr. Jennings, his mouth pursed in perturbation, jumped to his feet. “No offense meant, your lordship,” he muttered, hurrying to see his client out.
    “None taken,” his lordship replied generously, although a wrinkle of annoyance still creased his brow.
    The clerk came in with his lordship’s greatcoat, and an awkward silence filled the room as he helped Kittridge on with it.
    “Some titles,” Mr. Chivers remarked just as his lordship stepped over the threshold, “‘ave brought their owners a veritable fortune.”
    Lord Kittridge stopped short. “Oh?” he asked coldly over his shoulder, his curiosity warring with his pride. “And how much do you think
my
title would be worth?”
    “Enough to pay off yer debts and clear the encumbrances from yer Lincolnshire estate, at least.”
    The sardonic expression on Kittridge’s face changed to sincere surprise. He turned round slowly. “As much as
that
?” he asked.
    “As much as that,” Chivers said firmly.
    Kittridge stared at him for a long moment. Then he came in and closed the door behind him. “Good God, man,” he exclaimed, “we’re speaking of a dowry that would have to be in the neighborhood of
forty thousand pounds
!”
    “Yes, I know.” Chivers gave an indifferent shrug. “I think I can assure ye of forty thousand.”
    Kittridge blinked. “I can’t believe that someone would pay such a sum just so that his daughter could call herself a viscountess.”
    “You gentlemen who’re born to the purple take yer titles lightly,” Mr. Chivers answered calmly. “Only those for whom a title is inaccessible know its real value. Like ice in the tropics, if ye catch my meanin’.”
    “Mr. Chivers is right, my lord,” Jennings put in earnestly. “There’s many a captain of industry who would pay handsomely to have a nobleman grace his family tree. And many a needy nobleman has made the bargain. It isn’t at all a new idea. And not necessarily a bad one, either.”
    Kittridge slowly removed his gloves and walked back toward the desk where the little financier was still sitting. “Are you saying, Chivers, that you have a definite offer for me?” He leaned against the desk and bent toward Chivers challengingly. “That you have someone specific in mind?”
    Chivers couldn’t meet that level look. “I ’ave several wealthy clients who’d be interested,” he equivocated, shoving his glasses up on his nose and dropping his eyes.
    “But no one in particular?” Kittridge