74 THE MASTER OF THE HOUNDS. 



" Well, perhaps not," said Vernon. " I only hope he did 

 not overhear Harper's encomiums on Lord Vancourt." 



" Pooh ! nonsense, Vernon, that's next to an impossibility," 

 replied his lordship, much chafed at the idea. But it was a 

 possibility, and a fact, too — the man had overheard every word 

 of it — for happening to pass by the dining-room door, in re- 

 turning from the drawing-room, the name of Beauchamp struck 

 his ear, and knowing his lord's and Vernon's dislike to the 

 young squire (as he was generally termed), he stood, an eager 

 listener, at the door, and heard the whole plot against Miss 

 Douglas ; but the butler coming suddenly upon him, obliged 

 him to enter the room to prevent detection in the act of eaves- 

 dropping. 



Thomas Carter, the first footman, had been born and bred 

 up in the village of Bampton, until fourteen years of age, when 

 he was taken by a friend of Mr. Beauchamp's as the junior 

 domestic in his establishment, from which he rose with his 

 years and inches, until having quarrelled with the butler, he 

 obtained the situation he now held and had occupied for two 

 years in Lord Mervyn's household; retaining still a strong 

 attachment to his native village, and to the young squire, who 

 had shown him great kindness when a boy. He was also con- 

 nected (though unknown to Lord Mervyn) with old Farmer 

 Bosier, a late tenant on the Marston estates, whose crops 

 having been destroyed, year after year, by the hares and 

 rabbits, without any redress or allowance from his landlord, 

 was at last completely ruined, and all his goods and chattels 

 being distrained upon for rent, which it was impossible for him 

 to pay, he would have been mercilessly turned upon the parish, 

 but for his son, Mark Bosier, who rented a cottage on Mr. 

 Styles's farm, with whom he found constant employment. 



Mark was a tall, stout, athletic young man of twenty-two, 

 active as a tiger and bold as a lion — yet, withal, of a kind dis- 

 position ; but his father's injuries, and the injustice he had ex- 

 perienced from Lord Mervyn, rankled in his breajst, and he 

 determined to take his revenge on the game, which had been 

 the cause of his father's ruin. In fact, Mark Bosier had now 

 become, from his courage and knowledge of wood-craft, the 

 leader of a daring gang of poachers, who preyed almost exclu- 

 sively on Lord Mervyn's preserves, for he was universally dis- 

 liked by all classes (the poor especially) for his haughty, over- 

 bearing character. 



Mark's gang consisted of six young fellows, besides himself, 



