her to
do. Here had been a very Apollo among suitors kneeling at her child's
feet, and the foolish girl had sent him away for the sake of a young
man who wrote for a penny newspaper! Was it worth the while of
any woman to bring up daughters with such results? Lady Rowley,
therefore, when she was first introduced to Hugh Stanbury, was not
prepared to receive him with open arms.

On this occasion the task of introducing him fell to Mrs. Trevelyan,
and was done with much graciousness. Emily knew that Hugh Stanbury
was her friend, and would sympathise with her respecting her child.
"You have heard what has happened to me?" she said. Stanbury,
however, had heard nothing of that kidnapping of the child. Though
to the Rowleys it seemed that such a deed of iniquity, done in the
middle of London, must have been known to all the world, he had not
as yet been told of it;--and now the story was given to him. Mrs.
Trevelyan herself told it, with many tears and an agony of fresh
grief; but still she told it as to one whom she regarded as a sure
friend, and from whom she knew that she would receive sympathy. Sir
Marmaduke sat by the while, still gloomy and out of humour. Why was
their family sorrow to be laid bare to this stranger?

"It is the cruellest thing I ever heard," said Hugh.

"A dastardly deed," said Lady Rowley.

"But we all feel that for the time he can hardly know what he does,"
said Nora.

"And where is the child?" Stanbury asked.

"We have not the slightest idea," said Lady Rowley. "I have seen him,
and he refuses to tell us. He did say that my daughter should see her
boy; but he now accompanies his offer with such conditions that it is
impossible to listen to him."

"And where is he?"

"We do not know where he lives. We can reach him only through a
certain man--"

"Ah, I know the man," said Stanbury; "one who was a policeman once.
His name is Bozzle."

"That is the man," said Sir Marmaduke. "I have seen him."

"And of course he will tell us nothing but what he is told to tell
us," continued Lady Rowley. "Can there be anything so horrible as
this,--that a wife should be bound to communicate with her own
husband respecting her own child through such a man as that?"

"One might possibly find out where he keeps the child," said Hugh.

"If you could manage that, Mr. Stanbury!" said Lady Rowley.

"I hardly see that it would do much good," said Hugh. "Indeed I do
not know why he should keep the place a secr