A Difficult Conundrum

At dinnor the other nigbt the converaation lap.-td, a.- it gometjmea will with the beat of host, oto quevttona hardljr distinguishablefrotn OOOundruiDS. A di.-ünguishcd historian was present, and l put a queítion to hini which I knew had puzzled a great inaiiy peuple at different times. Int i. the Miníame of the lloyal f'auiily ? " " üuelph, ofcourse." That is the usual answer, and it wan the historian's I ventured to suggert that, although the Koyal fainily are Guelphs by de.sctnt, her Majesty's tnarriape with Priuce Albert of' Saxe-Coliurg must have the efF( et which the njarriage of a lady has in all other cases, büd that the súmame of the present house BOflt be the l'rince Consort's. 15ut what is the surnameof the IVince Consort'.sf-imily? Simple, but stasftering. No one knew. All gue.ed, and all were wrong. I happened to have lookid up the subject a few ruonths apo, so l knew that the name was " Wettin." Of eour.se no one had heard it befure. p]very one smiled at the horrible idea of the Guelphs beinir reduced to Wettins I The point was referred to Theodore Martin. '" You are quite right," said the graceful biographer of tlie Prince Donsort. " Wettia is the family name of the house of Saxony, and the minor Prinees of the house are iherefbre all Wettins, or in