“By the by, I will just step and speak to this Susan Hopley, if your ladyship can inform me in what part of the lower regions I am likely to meet with her?”

“Let me ring for her.”

“No; if you please not.  What I have to ask her is of very little importance; still, to summon her here might give rise to surmises, reports, and so on, which it may be as well to avoid.  I had much rather see her accidentally, as it were.”

“As you please.  You will find her somewhere about the housekeeper’s apartments.  You know her by sight, I think?”

“Perfectly; and with your leave I’ll take the opportunity of directing the horses to be put to.  I must be in London by noon to-morrow if possible;” and away Mr. Ferret bustled.

“Susan,” said Mr. Ferret a few minutes afterwards, “step this way; I want to have a word with you.  Now, tell me are you goose enough to expect you will ever see the money again you so foolishly threw into the bottomless pit of chancery?”

“Of course I shall, Mr. Ferret, as soon as ever Miss Clara comes to her own.  She mentioned it only this morning, and said she was sorry she could not repay me at once.”

“You are a sensible girl, Susan, though you did go to law with the lord chancellor!  I want you to be off with me to London; and then perhaps we may get your money sooner than you expect.”

“Oh, bother the money!  Is that all you want me to go to Lunnon for?”

Mr. Ferret replied with a wink of such exceeding intelligence, that Susan at once declared she should be ready to start in ten minutes at the latest.

“That’s a good creature; and, Susan, as there’s not the slightest occasion to let all the world know who’s going to run off with you, it may be as well for you to take your bundle and step on a mile or so on the road, say to the turn, just beyond the first turnpike.”  Susan nodded with brisk good-humor, and disappeared in a twinkling.

An hour afterwards, Mr. Ferret was on his way back to London, having first impressed upon Lady Compton the necessity of immediately relieving herself of the grave responsibility she had incurred towards Major Brandon for the safe custody of his ward, by sending her home immediately.  He promised to return on the third day from his departure; but on the nature of the measures he intended to adopt, or the hopes he entertained of success, he was inflexibly silent; and he moreover especially requested that no one, not even Miss Brandon, should know of Susan Hopley’s journey to the metropolis.

Mr. Ferret, immediately on his arrival in town, called at my chambers, and related with his usual minuteness and precision as many of the foregoing particulars as he knew and thought proper to communicate to me.  For the rest I am indebted to subsequent conversations with the different parties concerned.

“Well,” said I, as soon as he had concluded, “what course do you propose to adopt?”