TEE BET WON. 375 



" Is that true or not, you young rascal 1 ' demanded For- 

 rester. 



" Oh, yes, sir," replied Monkton ; " but my father knows 

 nothing of this business, indeed he don't." 



"Well, you young villain, I've got you now, safe enough ; your 

 father will perhaps lose his situation when this thing is made 

 known, and you will be transported to a dead certainty. Now, 

 my lord, I await your orders; time presses, and I must return." 



" Then my decision is this : before I see Lord Malcolm, 

 take this young gentleman with you to your own house, and 

 keep him there until to-morrow at twelve o'clock, by which 

 time I shall have Lord Malcolm's instructions how to act. Treat 

 him well, and ascertain all about his family, his mother par- 

 ticularly, if she is still living, and where." 



" Yes, my lord," replied Monkton, " my father and mother 

 live together at 8, Dock Street." 



a Yery well, send for them to be at your house then, For- 

 rester, to-morrow by twelve o'clock; but no communication 

 before we arrive ; and now, Mr. Monkton," said Lord Henry, 

 "if you make a clean breast of the whole business, I will 

 endeavour to persuade Lord Malcolm to deal leniently with 

 you. Good night, Forrester, and mind your charge," and Lord 

 Heniy ran down stairs, slipping a half-crown into the girl's 

 hand, got into a cab, and drove furiously to Grosvenor Square. 

 The ladies had just left the dining room, when Lord Henry, 

 without any ceremony, rushed in, exclaiming, " I have won my 

 bet, Malcolm, and nabbed the impostor, Mr. Archibald Douglas, 

 alias Monkton, alias Jones, and left him in old Forrester's 

 clutches." 



" Hurrah ! " shouted Malcolm. " Thank God ! " ejaculated 

 the old earl. " Bravo ! " cried Beauchamp, as Lord Henry 

 proceeded in his story. " But you have not dined yet, Bayn- 

 tun," the latter remarked. 



"I never think of dinner, Beauchamp, when I've work on 

 hand ; but won't refuse some now ; " which being immediately 

 ordered, he succinctly related all that occurred since his interview 

 with Mangle. 



" Well done ! capital ! excellent ! " was echoed by all ; " a 

 lawyer outwitted at last ! " 



The soup being placed on the table, Beauchamp ran up 

 stairs to give Blanche the joyful intelligence, and taking her 

 aside, whispered, " Can you bear good news, my dearest girl, as 

 well as you have borne bad 1 " 



