"It strikes you in that light,
too--doesn't it, Lecount?"
Mrs. Lecount shook her head, and closed her handsome black eyes.
"Harrowing," she said; "I can characterize it, Miss Garth, by no other
word--harrowing. How the young person--no! how Miss Vanstone, the
younger--discovered that my late respected master made no will I am at
a loss to understand. Perhaps it was put in the papers? But I am
interrupting you, Miss Garth. Do have something more to say about your
pupil's letter?" She noiselessly drew her chair forward, as she said
these words, a few inches beyond the line of the visitor's chair. The
attempt was neatly made, but it proved useless. Magdalen only kept her
head more to the left, and the packing-case on the floor prevented Mrs.
Lecount from advancing any further.
"I have only one more question to put," said Magdalen. "My pupil's
letter addressed a proposal to Mr. Noel Vanstone. I beg him to inform me
why he has refused to consider it."
"My good lady!" cried Noel Vanstone, arching his white eyebrows in
satirical astonishment. "Are you really in earnest? Do you know what the
proposal is? Have you seen the letter?"
"I am quite in earnest," said Magdalen, "and I have seen the letter.
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