THE BET WON. 375 



"Is that true or not, you young rascal?" demanded Fc;^ 

 rest«r. 



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

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



"Well, you yotmg villain, I've got you now, safe enough j you/ 

 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 INIalcolm, 

 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 insv^ructions 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." 



" Very well, send for them to be at your house then, For- 

 rester, to-morrov/ 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 pei-suade Lord I>Ia]oolm to deal lenieptly with 

 you. Good night, Forrester, and mind your charg'?,'' and Lord 

 Henry 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 dinip.g room, when Lord Henry, 

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

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

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

 clutches." 



" Hurrah I" 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 reinarked, 



"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 ! excelleivt ! '* wa« echoed by all ; " a 

 lawyer outwitted at last ! " 



The soup being placed on the table, Beauchamp ran up 

 stairs to give Blanche the joyful intelligeuce, j-nd tailing her 

 aside, whispered, " Can you bear fcood no-x/^ my doartN^-i girl, as 

 well a.3 you havo boi'iie bid ^ " 



