ISO TBE MASTER OP THE HOUNDS, 



" I heard lier," replied Vancourt, " and suspect, as you m^\ 

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

 travelling carriage." 



"That is the thing, my lord — the only thing to be dono 

 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, "sv^^en they were together in her own room. 



" A'j, 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 woidd 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 youi' spirits and escape further imr- 

 portunities." 



'^ Oh, dear aunt ! I shall be so delighted if you will take m© 

 witli you." 



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

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

 court, .^or go with me you shall." 



Any one of my readers who has witnessed the meeting of 

 tw^o strange cats, with arched backs, and fire darting from tlieisr 

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

 and tearing the fieck out of each other's bodies, may form some 

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

 hostile collision about their niecCv 



" 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 yo« 

 mean?" 



" That he is a v/orthless, gambling, penniless fortune-hunt-er, 

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

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

 eourt." 



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

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

 Bhip, Vr^ho is ?, person of unblemished character, of well-known 

 good fortur e, and of the highest and most honourable feelings. 

 But who i j his base slanderer, Mrs. Govdon? His name I havt 



