ary interest in her
master, to defending her small pecuniary interest at her brother's
bedside? While that question remained undecided, the plain necessity of
checking the growth of Noel Vanstone's intimacy with the family at North
Shingles did not admit of a doubt; and of all means of effecting that
object, none could be less open to suspicion than the temporary
removal of the household from their residence at Aldborough. Thoroughly
satisfied with the soundness of this conclusion, Captain Wragge made
straight for Sea-view Cottage, to apologize and explain before the
carriage came and the departure took place.

Noel Vanstone was easily accessible to visitors; he was walking in the
garden before breakfast. His disappointment and vexation were freely
expressed when he heard the news which his friend had to communicate.
The captain's fluent tongue, however, soon impressed on him the
necessity of resignation to present circumstances. The bare hint that
the "pious fraud" might fail after all, if anything happened in the
ten days' interval to enlighten Mrs. Lecount, had an instant effect in
making Noel Vanstone as patient and as submissive as could be wished.

"I won't tell you where we are going, for two good reasons," said
Captain Wragge, when his preliminary explanations were completed. "In
the first place, I haven't made up my mind yet; and, in the second
place, if you don't know where our destination is, Mrs. Lecount can't
worm it out of you. I have not the least doubt she is watching us at
this moment from behind her window-curtain. When she asks what I wanted
with you this morning, tell her I came to say good-by for a few days,
finding my niece not so well again, and wishing to take her on a short
visit to some friends to try change of air. If you could produce an
impression on Mrs. Lecount's mind (without overdoing it), that you are a
little disappointed in me, and that you are rather inclined to doubt my
heartiness in cultivating your acquaintance, you will greatly help our
present object. You may depend on our return to North Shingles in four
or five days at furthest. If anything strikes me in the meanwhile, the
post is always at our service, and I won't fail to write to you."

"Won't Miss Bygrave write to me?" inquired Noel Vanstone, piteously.
"Did she know you were coming here? Did she send me no message?"

"Unpardonable on my part to have forgotten it!" cried the captain. "She
sent you her love."

Noel Vans