368 THE MASTER OF THE HOUNDS. 



" Serve tliem both right, Malcolm — but don't be in too 

 great a hurry — although Ayrshire has treated me very cava- 

 lierly also." 



" Well, Bayntun, you may serve us now, so go, keep your 

 appointment with that rascal, Mangle ; and if you can pick out 

 what you suspect, and I believe to be the case, that it is a 

 trumped-up affair, by Jove ! I'll give you the two thousand 

 pounds, and engage Beauchamp shall give you two more." 



" On your honour, Malcolm, are you in earnest ? " 



" On my oath, if necessary." 



" Enough, old fellow, I'm off to Lincoln's Inn, and will 

 meet you to-morrow at the club, at two o'clock." 



There being a grand re-union that night at Lady Hasleton's,, 

 Lord Henry was there, and knowing his -penchant for Miss 

 Douglas, Lady Fanny Trimmer began bantering him on the 

 sudden downfall of his idol. " What a fortunate escape for your 

 lordship — and Ayrshire, after such very particular attentions, 

 has altered his tone completely this evening — can't endure the 

 name of Douglas now — ha, ha ! " 



" No wonder Ayrshire has changed his key," replied Lord 

 Henry, "when he found all the notes in B flat." 



" Rejected ! Lord Henry, do you really mean to say he has 

 been refused by that pretty little impostor % " 



" She is no impostor," replied Lord Henry, indignantly ; 

 " but an impostor has laid claim to her property, to which he 

 has no more right than I have ; that fact has come to my 

 knowledge this day ; and as for Ayrshire and others sneering at 

 and running down Miss Douglas now, it is because she has re- 

 jected half a score of them, at least, before a word was said 

 about her loss of fortune." 



" You astonish me, Lord Henry : refuse Ayrshire ! impos- 

 sible ! What girl in her senses coukhcommit such folly ? " 



"I suppose, then, when young ladies are in love, they are 

 out of their senses, and, therefore, Miss Douglas, having been 

 attached to Lord Beauchamp before she made her clebtU in the 

 London world, has been mad enough to prefer him to all our 

 gay men of ton." 



" Gracious goodness ! how romantic ! and Lord Beauchamp 

 really intends to marry her, notwithstanding this claim upon 

 her property ? " 



"Yes," replied Lord Henry, "if she had not a shilling in 

 the world, but I wish I were as secure of my bets as she is of 

 her rights." 



