Noel
Vanstone's solicitor, with a line inside, requesting that gentleman to
send it at once to the office of Mr. Pendril.
"Now," thought Mrs. Lecount, as she locked the letter up in her desk,
preparatory to posting it the next day with her own hand, "now I have
got her!"
The next morning the servant from Sea View came, with her master's
compliments, to make inquiries after Miss Bygrave's health. Captain
Wragge's bulletin was duly announced--Miss Bygrave was so ill as to be
confined to her room.
On the reception of this intelligence, Noel Vanstone's anxiety led him
to call at North Shingles himself when he went out for his afternoon
walk. Miss Bygrave was no better. He inquired if he could see Mr.
Bygrave. The worthy captain was prepared to meet this emergency. He
thought a little irritating suspense would do Noel Vanstone no harm,
and he had carefully charged the servant, in case of necessity, with her
answer: "Mr. Bygrave begged to be excused; he was not able to see any
one."
On the second day inquiries were made as before, by message in the
morning, and by Noel Vanstone himself in the afternoon. The morning
answer (relating to Magdalen) was, "a shade better.
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