Medjora, who was poking at him with a broom handle. She was evidently
disturbed at Leon's entrance, and turned upon him angrily.

"This dog of yours must not come in the house. I will not have it. I
am mistress here, and dogs must be kept in the stable."

Without waiting for a reply she hurried out of the room. Leon, not
comprehending what was the matter, but realizing that his pet was
unhappy, stooped to his knees and coaxed him from his hiding-place. He
was much astonished to find that Lossy held a letter between his
teeth, which, however, he yielded readily to his master. When Leon had
taken it from him, Lossy stood in the middle of the floor and shook
himself, as a dog does after swimming, until his rumpled fur stood
smooth and bushy. In the same moment his good temper returned. Leon
recognized the letter, as one which he had read that morning, but
though he perused it again mechanically, it did not explain to his
mind the scene, of which he had witnessed only the end. Had he been
able to comprehend the situation, much of what occurred later might
have been avoided.

What had happened was this. In the morning's mail a letter had come
for Leon, and he had read it at the breakfast-table. This excited the
curiosity of Madame Medjora, because it was the first that had come to
the boy since he had lived with them. She therefore had noted that he
placed it in his pocket, and she studied how she might become
possessed of it. No chance offered until Leon went out, to call at
Judge Dudley's. Then he changed his coat, and he had scarcely left the
house, before the woman entered his room and eagerly searched for, and
found the letter. So engrossed was she in the perusal of it, that she
did not notice that Lossy had followed her from his master's apartment
into her own boudoir, whither she had gone, before reading it.

The letter was as follows. As a specimen of chirography, and an
example of high grade orthography, it was worthy of a place in a
museum.

"mister leon Grath, my Dare nevue have you forgot yore Ant
Matildy I hav not hearn frum you in menny menny wekes an I
mus say I have fretted myself most to deth abowt my Dare
Sisters little boy leon all alone in this wide wide wurld A
weke ago mister potter the man that ocshioned off the Farm
Wuz up to owr plase and he tole us how you wuz makin lots of
money in York along of Doctor mejory. Now ef its tru that you
be makin so much mo