Do you know this writing, sir?"
He shrank back from the paper which she offered to him.
"I don't understand this," he said, nervously. "I don't know what you
want, or what you mean."
Mrs. Lecount forced the paper into his hand. "You shall know what I
mean, sir, if you will give me a moment's attention," she said. "On
the day after you went away to St. Crux, I obtained admission to Mr.
Bygrave's house, and I had some talk in private with Mr. Bygrave's wife.
That talk supplied me with the means to convince you which I had wanted
to find for weeks and weeks past. I wrote you a letter to say so--I
wrote to tell you that I would forfeit my place in your service, and my
expectations from your generosity, if I did not prove to you when I came
back from Switzerland that my own private suspicion of Miss Bygrave was
the truth. I directed that letter to you at St. Crux, and I posted
it myself. Now, Mr. Noel, read the paper which I have forced into your
hand. It is Admiral Bartram's written affirmation that my letter came to
St. Crux, and that he inclosed it to you, under cover to Mr. Bygrave,
at your own request. Did Mr. Bygrave ever give you that letter? Don't
agitate yourself, sir! One word of reply will do--Yes or No.
Pages:
873
874
875
876
877
878
879
880
881
882
883
884
885
886
887
888
889
890
891
892
893
894
895
896
897