A PLOT AGAINST BLANCHE DOUGLAS. 71 



" My name is Hazel," retorted the young man ; " and if you 

 don't beg my pardon, this minute, for calling me an insolent 

 blackguard, I'll blacken your face with my dirty hand, and 

 knock you off your horse, into the bargain ! " then riding close 

 up to him, with his clenched fist, Vernon showed the white 

 feather, murmuring out some apology. "And now, Mr. Ver- 

 non," said Hazel, " I'll just warn you to keep a civil tongue in 

 your mouth. We dirty-handed farmers work hard enough to 

 turn an honest penny, which is more than you do ; and if you 

 give us any more of your sauce, we know how to prevent your 

 insulting us in the field, whatever you may say behind our 

 backs." 



It being then very late, the hounds returned to the kennels. 



We will now transfer our readers, in imagination, to the 

 dining-room of Marston Castle, where, seated round the fire, 

 after the ladies had retired, were Lord Mervyn, Richard 

 Vernon, and Mr. Harper (his lordship's right-hand man in 

 electioneering affairs). The conversation turned on the events 

 of the day, and Lord Mervyn was bitterly inveighing against 

 the insolence of Beauchamp's whipper-in, in shooting the 

 fox. 



" Were I in your situation, my lord," remarked Vernon, " I 

 would warn Beauchamp and the whole crew off my lands." 



" That I cannot do, Vernon, or we should lose our election, 

 next year, for my son ; and, at this moment, every vote is of 

 consequence to the government." 



" Well, then, after the election ; it will do then." 



"Change of ministry, dissolution of Parliament — all such 

 contingencies have to be considered," replied Lord Mervyn, " so 

 that a seat in the Commons is never secure, for any certain 

 period in these changing times. No, no, Vernon ; we can 

 safely and successfully wage war against the foxes, and lay the 

 blame on the keepers, but as to waging war with all the 

 fox-hunters and fox-hunting farmers, that is too bold a stroke 

 to venture upon. The whole country would be iip in arms 

 directly." 



" Well, then, my lord, what think you of a ' bold stroke for 

 a husband ' for the heiress ? " 



" I don't comprehend your meaning ; pray explain," said 

 Lord Mervyn. 



" That is easily done. Money is the ruling power, and 

 without it, my lord — and a good deal of it, too — a pack of fox- 

 hounds, with the necessary establishment of servants, horses, and 



