340 THE MASTER OF THE HOUNDS. 



to his children, and afterwards returned to this country with 

 the woman he had made his wife." 



" And where is she to be found, Mrs. Gordon 1 " 



" Somewhere in Scotland ; but where I cannot tell, although 

 two years ago she wrote to me for money, which I sent to the 

 address she gave me — Janet Maclean, Stranraer." 



" Then, Mrs. Gordon, it is necessary to ascertain without 

 delay if this Janet Maclean still lives, and her place of abode, 

 as she will be a most important witness, and on her evidence 

 our chief dependence rests. If we can establish the fact that 

 no child was born in wedlock, it is quite clear the man who calls 

 liimself Archibald Douglas is an impostor ; but no time must 

 be lost, as these solicitors, who have taken up this case, are 

 notorious for being the greatest sharpers in London, and will 

 cause an immensity of trouble." 



After Mr. Harcourt's departure, Lord Malcolm returned 

 from his usual ride with Blanche and Constance, and when told 

 of Mr. Harcourt's revelations, his rage could scarcely be kept 

 within bounds. " What ! " he exclaimed, " be frightened by 

 such an infamous trick as this ? Where has been this Mr. 

 Archibald Douglas for these last ten years, since the death of 

 Blanche's father 1 I am not to be gulled or terrified, like that 

 craven-hearted Harcourt, by such a trumped-up, improbable 

 tale." 



" It is, however, Charles, a serious business," replied Mrs. 

 Gordon, " and we must prepare to meet the claim set up by 

 these people, without delay or hesitation." 



" That shall be done forthwith, aunt. I will go directly to 

 my little ferret of a Scotch lawyer, in Gray's Inn, Macvittie, 

 who is as sharp as a needle, and cannie as a true Scot. Har- 

 court's solicitors are quiet, respectable men of business, with a 

 good country connection, but too slow for such a case as this ; 

 so I will send Macvittie to help them, and sift these villanous 

 pretensions to the smallest grain of evidence that can be pro- 

 duced." 



Poor Blanche was so bewildered at first by this overwhelm- 

 ing intelligence, that she sat motionless in her chair, speechless 

 and stunned by the heavy blow that had fallen so suddenly upon 

 her, which her Aunt Gordon observing, led her away to her own 

 room, on entering which she burst into tears. 



" Oh ! aunt, aunt," she exclaimed, " I am now, perhaps, a 

 penniless orphan, dependent on your kind bounty, and as such 

 can never become William's wife." 



