hat!"

Arnold explained that Geoffrey, in the absence of any thing else to
write his excuses on to Anne, had written to her on the fourth or blank
page of a letter which had been addressed to him by Anne herself.

"Did you read that letter?" asked Sir Patrick.

"I might have read it if I had liked."

"And you didn't read it?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Out of delicacy."

Even Sir Patrick's carefully trained temper was not proof against this.
"That is the most misplaced act of delicacy I ever heard of in my life!"
cried the old gentleman, warmly. "Never mind! it's useless to regret
it now. At any rate, you read Delamayn's answer to Miss Silvester's
letter?"

"Yes--I did."

"Repeat it--as nearly as you can remember at this distance of time."

"It was so short," said Arnold, "that there is hardly any thing to
repeat. As well as I remember, Geoffrey said he was called away to
London by his father's illness. He told Miss Silvester to stop where she
was; and he referred her to me, as messenger. That's all I recollect of
it now."

"Cudgel your brains, my good fellow! this is very important. Did he make
no allusion to his engagement to marry Miss Silvester at Craig Fernie?
Didn't he try to pacify her by an apology of some sort?"

The question roused Arnold's memory to make another effort.

"Yes," he answered. "Geoffrey said something about being true to his
engagement, or keeping his promise or words to that effect."

"You're sure of what you say now?"

"I am certain of it."

Sir Patrick made another note.

"Was the letter signed?" he asked, when he had done.

"Yes."

"And dated?"

"Yes." Arnold's memory made a second effort, after he had given his
second affirmative answer. "Wait a little," he said. "I remember
something else about the letter. It was not only dated. The time of day
at which it was written was put as well."

"How came he to do that?"

"I suggested it. The letter was so short I felt ashamed to deliver it
as it stood. I told him to put the time--so as to show her that he was
obliged to write in a hurry. He put the time when the train started; and
(I think) the time when the letter was written as well."

"And you delivered that letter to Miss Silvester, with your own hand, as
soon as you saw her at the inn?"

"I did."

Sir Patrick made a third note, and pushed the paper away from him with
an air of supreme satisfaction.

"I always suspected that lost letter to be an important document,"