They returned later than usual to breakfast.
While Mrs. Wragge was up-stairs, straightening
herself from head to foot to meet the morning
inspection of her husband's orderly eye, and
while Magdalen and the captain were waiting for
her in the parlour, the servant came in with a
note from Sea-View Cottage. The messenger
was waiting for an answer, and the note was
addressed to Captain Wragge.

The captain opened the note, and read these
lines:

Dear Sir,— Mr. Noel Vanstone desires me to write
and tell you that he proposes enjoying this fine day
by taking a long drive to a place on the coast here,
called Dunwich. He is anxious to know if you will
share the expense of a carriage, and give him the
pleasure of your company, and Miss Bygrave's
company, on this excursion. I am kindly permitted to
be one of the party; and if I may say so without
impropriety, I would venture to add that I shall feel
as much pleasure as my master if you and your
young lady will consent to join us. We propose
leaving Aldborough punctually at eleven o'clock.

Believe me, dear sir, your humble servant,

VIRGINIE LECOUNT.

"Who is the letter from?" asked Magdalen,
noticing a change in Captain Wragge's face, as
he read it. "What do they want with us at Sea-
View Cottage?"

"Pardon me," said the captain, gravely, "this
requires consideration. Let me have a minute
or two to think."

He took a few turns up and down the room—
then suddenly stepped aside to a table in a corner,
on which his writing materials were placed. "I
was not born yesterday, ma'am!" said the captain,
speaking jocosely to himself. He winked his
brown eye, took up his pen, and wrote the
answer.

"Can you speak now?" inquired Magdalen,
when the servant had left the room. "What does
that letter say, and how have you answered it?"

The captain placed the letter in her hand. "I
have accepted the invitation," he replied, quietly.

Magdalen read the letter. "Hidden enmity
yesterday," she said, "and open friendship
today. What does it mean?"

"It means," said Captain Wragge, "that Mrs.
Lecount is even sharper than I thought her.
She has found you out."

"Impossible!" cried Magdalen. "Quite
impossible in the time!"

"I can't say how she has found you out,"
proceeded the captain, with perfect composure.
"She may know more of your voice, than we
supposed she knew. Or, she may have thought
us, on reflection, rather a suspicious family; and
anything suspicious, in which a woman was
concerned, may have taken her mind back to that
morning call of yours in Vauxhall Walk. Whichever
way it may be, the meaning of this sudden
change is clear enough. She has found you out;
and she wants to put her discovery to the
proof, by slipping in an awkward question or
two, under cover of a little friendly talk. My
experience of humanity has been a varied one;
and Mrs. Lecount is not the first sharp
practitioner in petticoats whom I have had to deal
with. All the world's a stage, my dear girl—
and one of the scenes on our little stage is shut
in from this moment.

With those words, he took his copy of Joyce's
Scientific Dialogues out of his pocket. "You're
done with already, my friend!" said the captain,
giving his useful information a farewell smack
with his hand, and locking it up in the cupboard.
"Such is human popularity!" continued the
indomitable vagabond, putting the key cheerfully in
his pocket. "Yesterday, Joyce was my all-in-all.
To-day, I don't care that for him!" He snapped
his fingers and sat down to breakfast.

"I don't understand you," said Magdalen,
looking at him angrily. "Are you leaving me to
my own resources for the future?"

"My dear girl!" cried Captain Wragge, " can't
you accustom yourself to my dash of humour yet?
I have done with my ready-made science, simply
because I am quite sure that Mrs. Lecount has
done believing in me. Haven't I accepted the
invitation to Dunwich? Make your mind easy.
The help I have given you already, counts for
nothing compared with the help I am going to
give you now. My honour is concerned in bowling
out Mrs. Lecount. This last move of hers has
made it a personal matter between us. The
woman actually thinks she can take me in!!!"
cried the captain, striking his knife-handle on the
table in a transport of virtuous indignation. "By
Heavens, I never was so insulted before in my
life! Draw your chair in to the table, my dear;
and give me half a minute's attention to what I
have to say next."

Magdalen obeyed him. Captain Wragge
cautiously lowered his voice before he went on.

"I have told you all along," he said, "the one
thing needful is never to let Mrs. Lecount catch
you with your wits wool-gathering. I say the
same, after what has happened this morning. Let
her suspect you! I defy her to find a fragment
of foundation for her suspicions, unless we help
her. We shall see to-day if she has been foolish
enough to betray herself to her master before she
has any facts to support her. I doubt it. If she
has told him, we will rain down proofs of our
identity with the Bygraves on his feeble little
head, till it absolutely aches with conviction.
You have two things to do on this excursion.
First, to distrust every word Mrs. Lecount says
to you. Secondly, to exert all your fascinations,
and make sure of Mr. Noel Vanstone, dating from
to-day. I will give you the opportunity, when
we leave the carriage, and take our walk at
Dunwich. Wear your hat, wear your smile; do
your figure justice, lace tight; put on your
neatest boots and brightest gloves; tie the
miserable little wretch to your aprong-string—tie him
fast; and leave the whole management of this
matter after that, to me. Steady! here is Mrs.
Wragge: we must be doubly careful in looking
after her now. Show me your cap, Mrs. Wragge!
show me your shoes! What do I see on your