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 humor 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 honor 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 bo