" COALS OP PTRE. 185 



pounds, and, by the same post, a few lines from Will Beau- 

 cliamp, enclosing a note for fifty pounds, which ran thus : — 



" Vernon, 



" I heartily forg ve your ill-founded hatred towards myself, for 

 which I never could asSign a cause, and trust you may return to this 

 country a happier and bo ,ter man. Accept this trifle from yours truly, 



" William Beauchamp." 



" There, Fitzgera d," said Yernon, handing him Beauchamp's 

 letter; "that hurts and cuts me to the quick — that man I 

 have injured, traduced, and vilified more than all, and it was 

 from hatred to him that I joined in this infernal plot to give 

 Miss Douglas into Vancourt's power, fearing she loved Beau- 

 champ j envy and jealousy led me on, as I once tried hard to 

 gain her myself" 



" Well, Yernf n, this is a pretty confession j but now, what 

 are your present feelings towards him 1 " 



" All that I can do to help his cause and Malcolm's shall be 

 done." 



" That's right, Yemen ; you have been tramping long enough 

 and too long to the tune of the ' Rogne's March,' and I hope 

 you now see that ' Honesty is the best Policy.' " 



Believed of a load of care by these timely and unexpected 

 remittances, Yernon felt more at ease, and next addressed a 

 very peniten ial letter to Lord Mervyn, pleading his affection 

 for his daugl ter as an excuse for his conduct in carrying her 

 off; depictir g in glowing colours her incessant care and anxiety 

 about him when at the point of death, and expressing his 

 resolution t lead a new hfe and devote all his energies to make 

 her happy. He also stated that, to atone for his past conduct, 

 he had mad e a confession to Lord Malcolm of his participation 

 with Lord Yancourt in the plot to carry off Miss Douglas, 

 without, h )wever, revealing other names, as he had been most 

 inhumanly treated by his lordship, who had conspired against 

 his life, and left him almost dying in Paris without a shilling. 

 On the re(,eipt of this letter from his worthy son-in-law, Lord 

 Mervyn bacame seriously alarmed, and fearing Yemen's vindic- 

 tive character, thought he would be safer under his own eye 

 than exposed to that of the opposing party; he therefore 

 enclosed him a handsome sum of money to defray his travelling 

 expenses when able to move, with an invitation to Marston 

 Castle. 



