234 THE MASTER OF THE HOUNDS. 



Lord Vancourt, nearly four hundred miles, to be married, when 

 she could have been married at the parish church with her 

 guardian's approval? This is all nonsense, Mr. Serjeant 

 Wrangler, perfectly absurd ; and you are wasting the time of 

 the court to no purpose." 



" Such is not my opinion, Mr. Conyers ; but I do not wish 

 to occupy more of your time, which seems so precious to you ; 

 nor to be favoured with another long-winded oration, which I 

 have in vain attempted to interrupt." 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



Thomas Carter next deposed to the conversation he overheard 

 between Vernon and Harley on the evening of the day on 

 which the hounds met at Marston Castle, and having given his 

 evidence, was turning to go down, when Serjeant Wrangler 

 exclaimed — " Stop, Mr. Carter, I have a word or two to say to 

 you. So, you audacious traitor and eavesdropper, you have had 

 the assurance to swear that you heard all this trumped-up story 

 through a thick mahogany door ? " 



" Yes, sir, I did — every word of it." 



" Then you were in the habit, I conclude, of always listening 

 at doors, to take some news into the servants' hall 1 " 



" No, sir, I never did it before or since ; but hearing the 

 young squire's name mentioned in a loud, angry tone by Mr. 

 "Vernon, I thought some mischief was brewing against him, and 

 so stopped to hear what it was." 



"And now you are in Lord Malcolm's service, you have 

 determined to make out this' cock-and-bull story, which you 

 think sensible men, like the gentlemen of the jury, will believe 

 from a discharged, worthless servant like yourself, who couldn't 

 get a character from your last place." 



" I was not discharged, sir, from Lord Mervyn's service, but 

 gave warniug to leave, and never asked his lordship for a 

 character." 



" ~No, I should think not, Thomas Carter, as you know well 

 enough you had not the remotest chance of getting one." 



" My character is as good as yours," retorted Carter, " any 

 day in the week." 



" Get down out of the box, you impudent liar," almost 



