"
"Mr. Harvey is indeed a most worthy gentleman," Mr. Popham said, "and
has the esteem and respect of all, even of those who are of wholly
different politics. Still, it may be that although he would in any
case, I believe, have left this property to Sir Cyril, he might not
have handed it over to him in his lifetime, had not he received so
great a service at his hands."
"Why, what is this, Cyril?" Sydney said, turning upon him. "You have
told us nothing whatever of any services rendered. I never saw such a
fellow as you are for helping other people."
"There was nothing worth speaking of," Cyril said, much vexed.
Mr. Popham smiled.
"Most people would think it was a very great service, Lord Oliphant.
However, I may not tell you what it was, although I have heard all
the details from my father-in-law, Mr. Goldsworthy. They were told in
confidence, and in order to enlighten me as to the relations between
Mr. Harvey and Sir Cyril, and as they relate to painful family
matters I am bound to preserve an absolute silence."
"I will be content to wait, Cyril, till I get you to myself. It is a
peculiarity of Sir Cyril Shenstone, Mr. Popham, that he goes through
life doing all sorts of services for all sorts of people. You may not
know that he saved the lives of my three sisters in a fire at our
mansion in the Savoy; he also performed the trifling service of
saving Prince Rupert's ship and the lives of all on board, among whom
was myself, from a Dutch fire-ship, in the battle of Lowestoft.
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