146 The Wrong Man 



' Could I tempt you up, Mr. Wenhaston ? ' the lessee 

 of Corriecuisk said, just a trifle less cordially, perhaps. 



* Very glad to see you, you know.' 



A polite excuse was on Hugh Wenhaston's lips. He 

 did not much like Mr. Higgs, more than suspecting that 

 he was a snob. The familiarly pitying reference to 



* poor Chaseley ' had sorely jarred, for Hugh and Lord 

 Chaseley had been close friends before that disastrous 

 Ascot which was to have been so brilliant for the Chaseley 

 cherry and white hoops — was to have set their ow^ner 

 quite on his legs again — and had ended so sadly. Hugh 

 had shot at Corriecuisk, and the change of hosts from 

 dear old Charlie Chaseley to Mr. Higgs would be 

 melancholy enough ; but there was something else to be 

 considered. Adjoining the Corriecuisk property was 

 Glenlochrie, Lord Heatherton's estate, and he knew that 

 Lady Alice and her mother were going north next week. 

 Now, if he could travel up with her, if, furthermore, he 

 could be quartered within some dozen miles of Glen- 

 lochrie Castle — well, it would be very pleasant indeed, 

 so pleasant that he thought he could even tolerate a 

 few dinners and evenings with Mr. Higgs ; besides, 

 perhaps the old fellow gave one a wrong impression 

 at first ; he might be ' all right when you knew him,' as 

 the popular ballad has it, and in any case it would be 

 well to find out what sort of a person he was, as he 

 would be a country neighbour. 



'You are very kind, Mr. Higgs, and I chance to 

 know the place rather well, for Lord Chaseley was good 

 enough to ask me there more than once. I have nothing 

 to do just now, and shall be very glad to run up for a 

 few days,' Hugh replied, somewhat to the astonishment 

 of Sir George. 



