3»0 THE MASTER OF THE HOUNDS. 



" The devil he did ! " excliiimed Mangle ; " what a rascal ! 

 and who was the lord ? " 



" Can't say, Mr. Mangle, as I don't know and don't care ; 

 but he was called Lord Henry somebody." 



*' Hell and destruction ! " muttered Mangle, as he rushed 

 from the door and jumped into a cab that was passing ; "it's all 

 over with me ! " 



Returning to his house, the lawyer wrote a short note to his 

 partners, telling them what had occurred, and that, in conse- 

 quence, he should leave town for a short time, until the thing 

 had blown over ; and taking all the money he had in his strong 

 box, he immediately started for America. At twelve o'clock 

 the same morning, Malcolm and Beauchamp met Lord Henry 

 at the private residence of the Bow Street officer, and found 

 Mr. Monkton in a most communicative mood ; and it was 

 evident from this young gentleman's confessions, that Mangle 

 was the originator and inventor of the plot, the alteration in 

 the date of the marriage certificate being made by his own hand. 

 Monkton' s father and mother were also in attendance, both 

 declaring they knew nothing of the business in which their son 

 was implicated, as he had ceased to live with them for several 

 months. The father implored Malcolm and Beauchamp not to 

 prosecute his son, or he should most likely be dismissed from 

 his employment in the docks. " Indeed, my lords," pleaded he, 

 " the lad, although wilful and wayward sometimes, would never 

 have imagined such a trick as this — he is only the dupe of that 

 rascally lawyer.'* 



^*But your sister," replied Beauchamp, "is also concerned 

 in this conspiracy. Where is she ? " 



" She has lived at Islington, my lord, since her return from 

 India ; but as she passes herself off for a lady now, we seldom 

 meet, and she is too good, or too bad, for us humble people." 



" Yery well, Mr. Monkton," continued Beauchamp ; " then 

 1 shall require you to go with me and Lord Malcolm to her 

 residence, whilst your wife remains here until our return ; 

 your son will then swear to the statement he has made before 

 a magistrate, and you must be bound over to produce him as a 

 witness against Mangle, when required j do you agree to this 

 proposal ? " 



" Yes, my lord, most willingly." 



"Yery well; then, Bayntun, will you be kind enough to 

 Bwait our return from Islington ? " 



This was readily assented to ; and Beauchamp and Malcolm, 



