"I spare you Mrs. Lecount's cool avowal, when she rose to leave us,
of her own mercenary motives in wishing to discover her master and to
enlighten him. I spare you the hints she dropped of Magdalen's purpose
in contracting this infamous marriage. The one aim and object of my
letter is to implore you to assist me in quieting Norah's anguish of
mind. The shock she has received at hearing this news of her sister is
not the worst result of what has happened. She has persuaded herself
that the answers she innocently gave, in her distress, to Mrs. Lecount's
questions on the subject of her letter--the answers wrung from her under
the sudden pressure of confusion and alarm--may be used to Magdalen's
prejudice by the woman who purposely startled her into giving the
information. I can only prevent her from taking some desperate step
on her side--some step by which she may forfeit the friendship and
protection of the excellent people with whom she is now living--by
reminding her that if Mrs. Lecount traces her master by means of the
postmark on the letter, we may trace Magdalen at the same time, and by
the same means. Whatever objection you may personally feel to renewing
the efforts for the rescue of this miserable girl which failed so
lamentably at York, I entreat you, for Norah's sake, to take the same
steps now which we took then.
Pages:
857
858
859
860
861
862
863
864
865
866
867
868
869
870
871
872
873
874
875
876
877
878
879
880
881