Having told the truth thus far, Mrs.
Lecount next proceeded to say that her master was in possession of
evidence which would justify him in putting the law in force; that he
knew the conspiracy with which he was threatened to be then in process
of direction against him at Aldborough; and that he only hesitated to
protect himself in deference to family considerations, and in the hope
that the elder Miss Vanstone might so influence her sister as to render
it unnecessary to proceed to extremities.
Under these circumstances (the letter continued) it was plainly
necessary that the disguised visitor to Vauxhall Walk should be properly
identified; for if Mrs. Lecount's guess proved to be wrong, and if the
person turned out to be a stranger, Mr. Noel Vanstone was positively
resolved to prosecute in his own defense. Events at Aldborough, on which
it was not necessary to dwell, would enable Mrs. Lecount in a few days
to gain sight of the suspected person in her own character. But as the
housekeeper was entirely unacquainted with the younger Miss Vanstone, it
was obviously desirable that some better informed person should, in this
particular, take the matter in hand.
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