150 The Wrong Man 



be so good as read it for me ? ' he presently said, a little 

 shamefacedly. 



' Very well, Alister, I'll read it for you,' Hugh re- 

 joined, after a moment's pause, for one does not like to 

 open a letter that is addressed to anyone else ; though in 

 this case there was clearly nothing else to be done. 



Hugh therefore took the letter, broke the seal, and 

 read : — 



* Donald, — The bearer of this is Mr. Wenhaston ' 



The reader paused, his brow contracted for a moment, 

 but only for a moment, and then he gave vent to a little 

 laugh, at which Alister looked up. Hugh read the rest 

 of the letter to himself. 



* is Mr. Wenhaston. Just let him see a stag. I 



don't want the j^Zace to he disturbed, and ive don't icant 

 any venison just noiv for the house. My friend Lord 

 Hardenoch is coming next week, and I want his lordship 

 to have some sport. Just let this gentleman see a stag. 

 You, understand.' 



What was Hugh to do ? Go back, say a few dignified 

 words to the old rascal who designed to make a fool of 

 him by sucli scurvy treatment as this ? Walk over to 

 Glenlochrie and send for his things, with a note telling 

 Mr. Higgs what he thought of such a trick ? A man 

 does not like to appear as the recipient of a snub even 

 from such a creature as Higgs, and he would have to 

 explain to Lady Heatherton why he had arrived so 

 suddenly. . . . No, by Jove ! That's the idea, of course ! 

 And Hugh laughed again. 



Alister, meantime, was waiting patiently, not sorry 

 to see, as he supposed, that somebody else besides him- 

 self had difficulties with the products of pen and ink. 

 Hugh caught his inquiring eye. 



