n time
to escape the vigilant eyes of a new visitor. Round the corner of the
road, at a sharp trot, came the Shap post-horse, with the Shap gig
behind him,--the same gig which had brought Bellfield to Vavasor on
the previous day,--and seated in the gig, looming large, with his
eyes wide awake to everything round him, was--Mr Cheesacre.

It was a sight terrible to the eyes of Captain Bellfield, and by no
means welcome to those of Mrs Greenow. As regarded her, her annoyance
had chiefly reference to her two nieces, and especially to Alice. How
was she to account for this second lover? Kate, of course, knew all
about it; but how could Alice be made to understand that she, Mrs
Greenow, was not to blame,--that she had, in sober truth, told this
ardent gentleman that there was no hope for him? And even as to
Kate,--Kate, whom her aunt had absurdly chosen to regard as the
object of Mr Cheesacre's pursuit,--what sort of a welcome would she
extend to the owner of Oileymead? Before the wheels had stopped,
Mrs Greenow had begun to reflect whether it might be possible that
she should send Mr Cheesacre back without letting him go on to the
Hall; but if Mrs Greenow was dismayed, what were the feelings of the
Captain? For he was aware that Cheesacre knew that of him which he
had not told. How ardently did he now wish that he had sailed nearer
to the truth in giving in the schedule of his debts to Mrs Greenow.

"That man's wanted by the police," said Cheesacre, speaking while the
gig was still in motion. "He's wanted by the police, Mrs Greenow,"
and in his ardour he stood up in the gig and pointed at Bellfield.
Then the gig stopped suddenly, and he fell back into his seat in his
effort to prevent his falling forward. "He's wanted by the police,"
he shouted out again, as soon as he was able to recover his voice.

Mrs Greenow turned pale beneath the widow's veil which she had
dropped. What might not her Captain have done? He might have procured
things, to be sent to him, out of shops on false pretences; or, urged
on by want and famine, he might have committed--forgery. "Oh, my!"
she said, and dropped her hand from his arm, which she had taken.

"It's false," said Bellfield.

"It's true," said Cheesacre.

"I'll indict you for slander, my friend," said Bellfield.

"Pay me the money you owe me," said Cheesacre. "You're a swindler!"

Mrs Greenow cared little as to her lover being a swindler in Mr
Cheesacre's estimation. Such accusati