Charley, in the meanwhile, attacked Vane, but that honourable gentleman parleyed; he objected to a fistic encounter, and submitted to say “he was sorry for what had happened”--rather than do battle with his hands. He would not have hesitated an instant--let him have justice--with the small sword or the pistol--to have confronted his antagonist, but then Charley was not a person, so he believed, whom he could meet on such terms, and, therefore, to avoid the vulgar appearance of maltreatment upon his handsome face, he said-- “Look here, my man--to stand up and fight like a couple of boxers, is not to my taste, and is merely ridiculous, where our physical powers appear so unequal, therefore I say that I am sorry the young ladies were offended; they were only accosted in joke, and nothing occurred to make that foolish young creature scream as she did--nothing.” “Charley” surveyed him with a look of disdain; he waved his hand contemptously. “Come, Mark,” he said, “we will overtake the girls. I do not think these fellows will trouble us any more.” Mark, as Charley styled his friend, put the cane to his knee, broke it into two pieces, and, uttering a few indignant comments, flung it towards his prostrate antagonist. He then took Charley’s arm, and accompanied him in the same direction as Lotte and her companion had pursued. They were hardly gone, when a man came up to where Lester Vane was bending over his friend, who had been most severely thrashed. He touched his hat to Vane, saying-- “Goodness me, sir, what has happened?” “You scoundrel!” cried Vane, passionately; “you ought to have been here before this to have given a thrashing to a couple of ruffians who have assaulted us. However, you may do some good yet. Hurry along yon path, you will overtake two men; they will join two girls; see where they go to, and bring back word to me; be particular in the address, and ascertain that you are correct. Be off with you!” The man touched his hat, and hurried after Charley and his companion. In the meantime, Charley had overtaken Lotte. In a few brief words he explained to her that he had been to New York; and, having succeeded in aiding an officer to capture the person of whom he had been sent in quest, he had immediately returned with the prisoner to England. On board the vessel he had made the acquaintance of a young fellow, who, he said, strangely enough, turned out to be the son of the person in whose house Lotte had lodged when he left England, and he had broken to him, as well as he could, the pecuniary distress into which the family had been plunged; but he was not prepared to find that the house had been destroyed by fire, and his relatives dispersed he knew not where. “Then this gentleman,” said Lotte, “is Mr. Mark Wilton, I presume? “Exactly,” said Charley, “and he is anxious to have his mind set at rest about his father and sister.”