130 THE MASTER OP THE HOUNDS, 



" I lieard lier," replied Vancourt, " and suspect, as you say, 

 ray chief dependence now is on two pair of posters and my 

 travelling carriage." 



"That is the thing, my lorl — the only thing to be done 

 under your circumstances ; and having this letter in your pos- 

 session from her guardian, you are as safe as the Bank of Eng- 

 land." 



The next morning, after breakfast, Mrs. Gordon drove over 

 to see her niece, and finding her very low-spirited, inquired the 

 cause, which poor Blanche readily confided to her kind-hearted 

 aunt, when they were together in her own room. 



" Ah, poor child ! I feared Mrs. Harcourt would be worry- 

 ing you to accept that bad man, for such a character Captain 

 Melville gave Mr. Conyers of him, declaring he would go to 

 London directly and get evidence to prove all he said ; and 

 now, my dear Blanche, you shall return with me to the Priory 

 for a few days, to recruit your spirits and escape further im- 

 portunities/' 



" Oh, dear aunt ! I shall be so delighted if you will take me 

 with you." 



" That I certainly will, my love ; so get Alice to pack up 

 your things, whilst I go down-stairs and speak to Mrs. Har- 

 court, for go with me you shall." 



Any one of my readers who has witnessed the meeting of 

 two strange cats, with arched backs, and fire darting from their 

 eye-balls, spitting and swearing as a preliminary to scratching 

 ;md tearing the fleck out of each other's bodies, may form some 

 idea of the rencontre between the two aunts, when brought into 

 hostile collision about their niece. 



" So, Mrs. Harcourt," exclaimed Aunt Gordon, on entering 

 the drawing-room, "you have been worrying poor Blanche to 

 accept that good-for-nothing man, Lord Vancourt." 



" Good-for-nothing man, Mrs. Gordon ! what do you 

 mean 1 " 



" That he is a worthless, gambling, penniless fortune-hunter, 

 and already married, or entangled with an opera dancer. To 

 encourage such a man for my niece is unpardonable, Mrs. Har- 

 court." 



"It is unpardonable in you, Mrs. Gordon," retorted the 

 other, "to utter such a false, scandalous libel against his lord- 

 ship, who is a person of unblemished character, of well-known 

 good fortune, and of the highest and most honourable feelings. 

 But who is his base slanderer, Mrs. Gordon? His name I have 



