’Aye，aye？’saidMeagles。’ABarnacleishe？Weknowsomethingofthatfamily，eh，Dan？ByGeorge，theyareatthetopofthetree，though!Letmesee。WhatrelationwillthisyoungfellowbetoLordDecimusnow？HisLordshipmarried，inseventeenninety-seven，LadyJemimaBilberry，whowastheseconddaughterbythethirdmarriage——no!ThereIamwrong!ThatwasLadySeraphina——LadyJemimawasthefirstdaughterbythesecondmarriageofthefifteenthEarlofStiltstalkingwiththeHonourableClementinaToozellem。Verywell。Nowthisyoungfellow’sfathermarriedaStiltstalkingandhisfathermarriedhiscousinwhowasaBarnacle。
ThefatherofthatfatherwhomarriedaBarnacle，marriedaJoddleby——Iamgettingalittletoofarback，Gowan；IwanttomakeoutwhatrelationthisyoungfellowistoLordDecimus。’
’That’seasilystated。HisfatherisnephewtoLordDecimus。’
’Nephew——to——Lord——Decimus，’MrMeaglesluxuriouslyrepeatedwithhiseyesshut，thathemighthavenothingtodistracthimfromthefullflavourofthegenealogicaltree。’ByGeorge，youareright，Gowan。Soheis。’
’Consequently，LordDecimusishisgreatuncle。’