Wragge's
self-appointed guardian. He had more than once seriously contemplated
revoking the concession which had been extorted from him, and removing
his wife, at his own sole responsibility, out of harm's way; and he had
only abandoned the idea on discovering that Magdalen's resolution to
keep Mrs. Wragge in her own company was really serious. While the two
were together, his main anxiety was set at rest. They kept their door
locked by his own desire while he was out of the house, and, whatever
Mrs. Wragge might do, Magdalen was to be trusted not to open it until
he came back. That night Captain Wragge enjoyed his cigar with a mind at
ease, and sipped his brandy-and-water in happy ignorance of the pitfall
which Mrs. Lecount had prepared for him in the morning.

Punctually at seven o'clock Noel Vanstone made his appearance. The
moment he entered the room Captain Wragge detected a change in his
visitor's look and manner. "Something wrong!" thought the captain. "We
have not done with Mrs. Lecount yet."

"How is Miss Bygrave this morning?" asked Noel Vanstone. "Well enough,
I hope, for our early walk?" His half-closed eyes, weak and watery with
the morning light and the morning air, looked about the room furtively,
and he shifted his place in a restless manner from one chair to another,
as he made those polite inquiries.

"My niece is better--she is dressing for the walk," replied the captain,
steadily observing his restless little friend while he spoke. "Mr.
Vanstone!" he added, on a sudden, "I am a plain Englishman--excuse
my blunt way of speaking my mind. You don't meet me this morning as
cordially as you met me yesterday. There is something unsettled in your
face. I distrust that housekeeper of yours, sir! Has she been presuming
on your forbearance? Has she been trying to poison your mind against me
or my niece?"

If Noel Vanstone had obeyed Mrs. Lecount's injunctions, and had kept her
little morsel of note-paper folded in his pocket until the time came to
use it, Captain Wragge's designedly blunt appeal might not have found
him unprepared with an answer. But curiosity had got the better of
him; he had opened the note at night, and again in the morning; it had
seriously perplexed and startled him; and it had left his mind far too
disturbed to allow him the possession of his ordinary resources. He
hesitated; and his answer, when he succeeded in making it, began with a
prevarication.

Captain Wragge stopped him bef