l. You have been
for years intended for another purpose." This was intolerable to
Florence,--this idea that she should have been considered as capable of
being intended for the purposes of other people! And a resolution at
once was formed in her mind that she would let her mother know that such
intentions were futile. But for the moment she sat silent. A journey
home at twelve o'clock at night in a fly was not the time for the
expression of her resolution. "I say he is a scamp," said Mrs. Mountjoy.
"During all these inquiries that have been made after your cousin he has
known all about it."

"He has not known all about it," said Florence.

"You contradict me in a very impertinent manner, and cannot be
acquainted with the circumstances. The last person who saw your cousin
in London was Mr. Henry Annesley, and yet he has not said a word about
it, while search was being made on all sides. And he saw him under
circumstances most suspicious in their nature; so suspicious as to have
made the police arrest him if they were aware of them. He had at that
moment grossly insulted Captain Scarborough."

"No, mamma; no, it was not so."

"How do you know? how can you tell?"

"I do know; and I can tell. The ill-usage had come from the other side."

"Then you, too, have known the secret, and have said nothing about it?
You, too, have been aware of the violence which took place at that
midnight meeting? You have been aware of what befell your cousin, the
man to whom you were all but engaged. And you have held your tongue at
the instigation, no doubt, of Mr. Henry Annesley. Oh, Florence, you also
will find yourself in the hands of the policeman!" At this moment the
fly drew up at the door of the house in Montpelier Place, and the two
ladies had to get out and walk up the steps into the hall, where they
were congratulated on their early return from the party by the
lady's-maid.

"Mamma, I will go to bed," said Florence, as soon as she reached her
mother's room.

"I think you had better, my dear, though Heaven knows what disturbances
there may be during the night." By this Mrs. Mountjoy had intended to
imply that Prodgers, the policeman, might probably lose not a moment
more before he would at once proceed to arrest Miss Mountjoy for the
steps she had taken in regard to the disappearance of Captain
Scarborough.

She had heard from Harry Annesley the fact that he had been brutally
attacked by the captain in the middle of the nig