What was he to do? He said that he would go up
and have tea; and as he led her to the door he put
down his face and kissed her. Oh, Johnny Eames!
But then a woman in such a contest has so many points
in her favour.
“Is It from Him?”
I have already declared that Crosbie wrote and posted
the fatal letter to Allington, and we must now follow
it down to that place. On the morning following
the squire’s return to his own house, Mrs Crump,
the post-mistress at Allington, received a parcel by
post directed to herself. She opened it, and
found an enclosure addressed to Mrs Dale, with a written
request that she would herself deliver it into that
lady’s own hand at once. This was Crosbie’s
letter.
“It’s from Miss Lily’s gentleman,”
said Mrs Crump, looking at the handwriting. “There’s
’something up, or he wouldn’t be writing
to her mamma in this way.” But Mrs Crump
lost no time in putting on her bonnet, and trudging
up with the letter to the Small House. “I
must see the missus herself,” said Mrs Crump.
Whereupon Mrs Dale was called downstairs into the
hall, and there received the packet. Lily was
in the breakfast-parlour, and had seen the post-mistress
arrive;—had seen also that she carried a
letter in her hand. For a moment she had thought
that it was for her, and imagined that the old woman
had brought it herself from simple good-nature.
But Lily, when she heard her mother mentioned, instantly
withdrew and shut the parlour door. Her heart
misgave her that something was wrong, but she hardly
tried to think what it might be. After all, the
regular postman might bring the letter she herself
expected. Bell was not yet downstairs, and she
stood alone over the tea-cups on the breakfast-table,
feeling that there was something for her to fear.
Her mother did not come at once into the room, but,
after a pause of a moment or two, went again upstairs.
So she remained, either standing against the table,
or at the window, or seated in one of the two arm-chairs,
for a space of ten minutes, when Bell entered the
room.
“Isn’t mamma down yet?” said Bell.
“Bell,” said Lily, “something has
happened. Mamma has got a letter.”
“Happened! What has happened? Is anybody
ill? Who is the letter from?” And Bell
was going to return through the door in search of her
mother.
“Stop, Bell,” said Lily. “Do
not go to her yet. I think it’s from—Adolphus.”
“Oh, Lily, what do you mean?”
“I don’t know, dear. We’ll
wait a little longer. Don’t look like that,
Bell.” And Lily strove to appear calm, and
strove almost successfully.
“You have frightened me so,” said Bell.
“I am frightened myself. He only sent me
one line yesterday, and now he has sent nothing.
If some misfortune should have happened to him!
Mrs Crump brought down the letter herself to mamma,
and that is so odd, you know.”
