said the visitor, when she had
inquired concerning Nancy's health. 'It's only natural. I hardly seem
to you a real relative, I'm afraid--you know so little about me; and now
Horace has been laying dreadful things to my charge.'

'He thinks you responsible for what has happened to Fanny French,' Nancy
replied, in an impartial voice.

'Yes, and I assure you he is mistaken. Miss. French deceived him and her
own people, leading them to think that she was spending her time with
me, when really she was--who knows where? To you I am quite ready to
confess that I hoped something might come between her and Horace; but as
for plotting--really lam not so melodramatic a person. All I did in the
way of design was to give Horace an opportunity of seeing the girl in
a new light. You can imagine very well, no doubt, how she conducted
herself. I quite believe that Horace was getting tired and ashamed of
her, but then came her disappearance, and that made him angry with me.'

Even the voice suggested Horace's tones, especially when softened in
familiar dialogue. Nancy paid closer attention to the speaker's looks
and movements than to the matter of what she said. Mrs. Damerel might
possibly be a well-meaning woman--her peculiarities might result from
social habits, and not from insincerity; yet Nancy could not like her.
Everything about her prompted a question and a doubt. How old was
she? Probably much older than she looked. What was her breeding, her
education? Probably far less thorough than she would have one believe.
Was she in good circumstances? Nancy suspected that her fashionable and
expensive dress signified extravagance and vanity rather than wealth.

'I have brought a letter to show you which she has sent me from abroad.
Read it, and form your own conclusion. Is it the letter of an injured
innocent?'

A scrawl on foreign note-paper, which ran thus:

DEAR MRS DAMEREL,--Just a word to console you for the loss of my
society. I have gone to a better world, so dry your tears. If you see my
masher, tell him I've met with somebody a bit more like a man. I should
advise him to go to school again and finish his education. I won't
trouble you to write. Many thanks for the kindness you _didn't_ mean to
do me.--Yours in the best of spirits (I don't mean Cognac),

FANNY (_nee_) FRENCH.

Nancy returned the paper with a look of disgust, saying, 'I didn't think
she was as bad as that.'

'No more did I. It really gave me a little sh