o
these territories?" asked Quackinboss, gravely.

"Not a bit of it. He went to rob her, to cheat her, to put forward some
false claim, to substitute some other in her place," cried old Layton.
"Who is to say if he himself be not the man Morris, and the husband of
our fair friend? He may have fifty names, for aught we know, and Morris
be one of them."

"You told me that Clara had been made over to a certain Mr. Stocmar, to
prepare her for the stage." said Alfred to the American. But before he
could reply the doctor broke in,--

"Stocmar,--Hyman Stocmar, of the Regent's?"

"The same. Do you know him, father?"

"That do I, and well too. What of him?"

"It was to his care this young lady was intrusted," said Alfred,
blushing at the very thought of alluding to her.

"If there should be dealings with Stocmar, let them be left to _me_."
said the doctor, firmly. "I will be able to make better terms with him
than either of you."

"I s'pose you're not going to leave a gal that's to have a matter of
a million of dollars to be a stage-player? She ain't need to rant, and
screech, and tear herself to pieces at ten or fifteen dollars a night
and a free benefit."

"First to find her, then to assert her rights," said the doctor.

"How _are_ we to find her?" asked Alfred.

"I will charge myself with that task, but we must be active too," said
the doctor. "I half suspect that I see the whole intrigue,--why this
woman was separated from the young girl, why this fellow Trover was sent
across the Atlantic, and what means that story of the large fortune so
suddenly left to Winthrop."

"I only know him slightly, sir," said Quackinboss, breaking in, "but no
man shall say a word against Harvey P. Winthrop in my hearing."

"You mistake me," rejoined the doctor. "It would be no impugnment of
my honesty that some one bequeathed me an estate,--not that I think the
event a likely one. So far as I can surmise, Winthrop is the only man of
honor amongst them."

"Glad to bear you say so, sir," said the Colonel, gravely. "It's a
great victory over national prejudices when a Britisher gets to say so
much for one of our people. It's the grand compensation you always have
for your inferiority, to call our sharpness roguery."

It was a critical moment now, and it needed all Alfred's readiness and
address to separate two combatants so eager for battle. He succeeded,
however, and, after some commonplace conversation, contrived to carry
his