eyes. "What! you have met him before?"
she said eagerly. "Tell me, general, do!"

The general and the lady walked away
to the sofa, the Doctor, afar off, very hot,
seeing them perfectly.

"I thought the fellow was at Botany
Bay by this time," said the general, hardly
able to contain himself. "I have had my
experience of the fellow. I never met such
an elaborate scoundrel. Why—why—why
—do you know what he is living on now?
Simply plunder! My poor nephew, Mark,
whom you know, went wrong in his head;
he got him into his fangs, ma'am, by way
of curing him. And, what d'ye think?
got a bond out of the poor boy, intimidated
him, worked on his poor half-witted brain.
I assure you we were near having him in
the dock. And a low bully besides—a
most dangerous scoundrel. I wonder you
let him into your house."

The reader will recal a little incident in
the chapter of the Doctor's biography,
related near the beginning of this history,
and own that this "incompressible" hero
was in ill luck, indeed, to have stumbled on
this awkward meeting.

"Tell me all about it, do, my dear
general," said Mrs. Leader, eagerly. She
was going to say that he had entrapped
Cecil also, but she checked herself.

The general told her all he knew; then
both got up and looked at the dancing.

"Who's that pretty girl dancing with
Cecil?" he asked, suddenly: "why, that's
the second time to-night."

Mrs. Leader was embarrassed. "Oh!
one of the people about here."

"Remarkably good-looking girl; such a
grace and interest in her face!"

Mrs. Leader was presently called to duty.
And when she next took a wary glance
round, she saw the general with Cecil
and Katey, the former bowing and
complimenting. This was very awkward. More
awkward still was it when she saw the
party joined by Doctor Findlater himself.

The Doctor, standing close by, had heard
the general's compliments, and suddenly
struck in. "You're right, sir! My
daughter. There's not her match in the
room. Ah! they'll make a nice pair, Mr.
and Mrs. Cecil Leader."

Cecil looked confused and put out.
Katey blushed. The general grew dark
with rage. But a glance at Katey's winning
and imploring face made him hesitate.
He was going to say, "Don't speak to me,
sir——"

The Doctor saw his hesitation and struck
in. "Just step aside with me, general,
only a moment."

"The general, puffing and blowing with
anger, did so. "How dare you——" he
began.

"Hush, hush! We know all that." And
the Doctor's next coup, as he said himself,
"was worthy of Nip-polian." "Don't I
know the reason I saw you talking to Mrs.
Leader? Don't I know? Then I tell you
you're late in the field. He's pledged long
ago to my Katey."

The general could not answer for rage.

"So you were telling Mrs. Leader our
little transactions, were you? Shabby, sir,
shabby in a military man. But you won't
spoil sport here. Do your worst, sir. The
motive's unhandsome, though. But don't
visit it on Katey; she wants to be no girl's
rival."

"This is more of your underhand scheming,
sir. But I'll expose you, by——"

"No threats to me," said the Doctor in
a loud voice, for some ladies had turned
round. "As for the other transaction, it
was different—a mere matter of money.
But where child of mine is concerned,
sir," went on the Doctor, still louder, "no
bullying or hectoring will make me
withdraw. It won't do, general. Mr. Cecil,
like an honourable man, has made his
proposal, which I have, and can show to all
the world."

"I don't believe it," said the general.
"And I despise your insinuations. I have
had experience of you before."

"Sure all the parish knows it," went on
the Doctor, sneeringly. "It's patent, sir,
as th' air we breathe; as the fludes
w' imbibe. I'm sorry for your young lady;
but why shouldn't mine have a chance?
Do your best or worst, general. The
motive's seen through, and the world will
judge. But it was shabby to go and put
a spoke in my wheel behind my back."

With this odd combination of metaphor,
the Doctor turned on his heel, and went
to get some champagne. All that night
he was making "grand manyouvers"—
making himself as public as he could,
pushing his way through the company,
and asking friends did they see "young
Leader and his daughter" anywhere. At
the refreshment table he met that young
man. "Well, this is the Land of Bondage,
it seems. The conspiracy's burst its shell.
They've begun the hounding down, it
seems. Let's have a glass of the—what
is it?" said the Doctor, reflectively, sloping
a bottle on its side—"of 'creaming