Treat the rest of my letter as you like,
but consider what I have told you about Mrs. Lecount, and remember that
time is of consequence.
"Ever yours,
"GEORGE BARTRAM."
II.
_From Norah Vanstone to Miss Garth._
"Portland Place.
"MY DEAR MISS GARTH--More sorrow, more disappointment! I have just
returned from Aldborough, without making any discovery. Magdalen is
still lost to us.
"I cannot attribute this new overthrow of my hopes to any want of
perseverance or penetration in making the necessary inquiries. My
inexperience in such matters was most kindly and unexpectedly assisted
by Mr. George Bartram. By a strange coincidence, he happened to be at
Aldborough, inquiring after Mr. Noel Vanstone, at the very time when I
was there inquiring aft er Magdalen. He sent in his card, and knowing,
when I looked at the name, that he was my cousin--if I may call him
so--I thought there would be no impropriety in my seeing him and asking
his advice. I abstained from entering into particulars for Magdalen's
sake, and I made no allusion to that letter of Mrs. Lecount's which you
answered for me. I only told him Magdalen was missing, and had been last
heard of at Aldborough.
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