The intelligent reader will perceive the ravages of Miss Hazeltine.  Gideon had carried Julia straight to Mr Bloomfield’s house; and that gentleman, having been led to understand she was the victim of oppression, had noisily espoused her cause.  He worked himself into a fine breathing heat; in which, to a man of his temperament, action became needful.

‘I do not know which is the worse,’ he cried, ’the fraudulent old villain or the unmanly young cub.  I will write to the Pall Mall and expose them.  Nonsense, sir; they must be exposed!  It’s a public duty.  Did you not tell me the fellow was a Tory?  O, the uncle is a Radical lecturer, is he?  No doubt the uncle has been grossly wronged.  But of course, as you say, that makes a change; it becomes scarce so much a public duty.’

And he sought and instantly found a fresh outlet for his alacrity.  Miss Hazeltine (he now perceived) must be kept out of the way; his houseboat was lying ready—­he had returned but a day or two before from his usual cruise; there was no place like a houseboat for concealment; and that very morning, in the teeth of the easterly gale, Mr and Mrs Bloomfield and Miss Julia Hazeltine had started forth on their untimely voyage.  Gideon pled in vain to be allowed to join the party.  ‘No, Gid,’ said his uncle.  ‘You will be watched; you must keep away from us.’  Nor had the barrister ventured to contest this strange illusion; for he feared if he rubbed off any of the romance, that Mr Bloomfield might weary of the whole affair.  And his discretion was rewarded; for the Squirradical, laying a heavy hand upon his nephew’s shoulder, had added these notable expressions:  ’I see what you are after, Gid.  But if you’re going to get the girl, you have to work, sir.’

These pleasing sounds had cheered the barrister all day, as he sat reading in chambers; they continued to form the ground-base of his manly musings as he was whirled to Hampton Court; even when he landed at the station, and began to pull himself together for his delicate interview, the voice of Uncle Ned and the eyes of Julia were not forgotten.

But now it began to rain surprises:  in all Hampton Court there was no Kurnaul Villa, no Count Tarnow, and no count.  This was strange; but, viewed in the light of the incoherency of his instructions, not perhaps inexplicable; Mr Dickson had been lunching, and he might have made some fatal oversight in the address.  What was the thoroughly prompt, manly, and businesslike step? thought Gideon; and he answered himself at once:  ‘A telegram, very laconic.’  Speedily the wires were flashing the following very important missive:  ’Dickson, Langham Hotel.  Villa and persons both unknown here, suppose erroneous address; follow self next train.—­Forsyth.’  And at the Langham Hotel, sure enough, with a brow expressive of dispatch and intellectual effort, Gideon descended not long after from a smoking hansom.