336 THE MASTER OF THE HOUNDS. 



" And, my dear Blanche — was he fond of her ? " 



" As she was of him ; and he has given her all the familj 

 jewels, which she persisted in refusing, until she became en- 

 titled to them — so these are under my care at present." 



"Which," said Lady Malcolm, '^1 hope will not be long. 

 Well, my dear children, I am overjoyed at your good fortune ; 

 and now our gaiety must cease for a time, which I shall not in 

 the least regret." 



Lord Malcolm, who had passed hitherto as a poor Scotch 

 nobleman, about to commit great folly in marrying a country 

 squire's daughter, failed not to acquaint two or three of his 

 most confidential friends with his intended wife's great accession 

 of fortune, the news of which he knew would travel post haste 

 through the clubs in London. 



" Eh, demmit ! " exclaimed the Captain to Lord Henry 

 Bayntun, as he was lounging at the club window in St. James's 

 Street, " that fellow Malcolm has picked up one worth having, 

 after all — just two hundred thousand yellow boys — 'pon honour, 

 what a prize ! " 



" What do you mean, Markham ? " inquired Lord Henry. 



" That Lady Constance, Will Beauchamp's sister, has had 

 that sum left her by the late Earl of Annandale, and she is 

 engaged to Malcolm." 



" I'll bet you a pony it is all chaff," replied Lord Henry. 



" Done, Bayntun — make it fifty, or a hundred, if you like.'* 



" No, a pony will do ; but how is the bet to be decided 1 " 



*' Doctors' Commons, old fellow — read the will — no mistake 

 there." 



Lord Ayrshire, although experiencing great relief in the 

 disappearance of Miss Douglas from the fashionable world after 

 his rejection, could not suppress his curiosity, on meeting Lord 

 Malcolm, to know the truth of the reports in circulation, and 

 congratulated him on his good fortune. " You have kept things 

 very close, Malcolm, between yourself and Miss Beauchamp, 

 although I suspected how the case stood." 



" You forget my warning in Tattersall's yard — that Miss 

 Beauchamp was certainly bespoken, if not Miss Douglas also ; 

 but a ' wilfu' mon maun have his way,' as we say in Scotland, 

 and had you followed my advice, you would have spared your- 

 self the disagreeable necessity of being further enlightened on 

 this matter." 



" Oh, then, I suppose Mr. Harcourt has informed you what 

 occurred in your absence ? " 



