e.

"That is for me," said he, rudely.

"Nay, it's for thy betters, young man; 'tis for Miss Grace Carden."

"She is Mrs. Coventry now, so give it me."

"I'll take her orders first."

On this Lally grabbed at it and caught Jael's right hand, which closed
directly on the letter like a vise.

"Are these your manners?" said she. "Give over now."

"I tell you I will have it!" said he, fiercely, for he had caught sight
of the handwriting.

He seized her hand and applied his knuckles to the back of it with all
his force. That hurt her, and she gave a cry, and twisted away from him
and drew back; then, putting her left hand to his breast, she gave
a great yaw, and then a forward rush with her mighty loins, and a
contemporaneous shove with her amazing left arm, that would have pushed
down some brick walls, and the weight and strength so suddenly applied
sent Lally flying like a feather. His head struck the stone gate-post,
and he measured his length under it.

Jael did not know how completely she had conquered him, and she ran in
with a face as red as fire, and took the letter up to Grace, and was
telling her, all in a heat, about the insolence of her new husband's
Irish servant, when suddenly she half recognized the handwriting, and
stood staring at it, and began to tremble.

"Why, what is the matter?" said Grace.

"Oh, nothing, miss. I'm foolish. The writing seems to me like a writing
we shall never see again." And she stood and trembled still more, for
the handwriting struck her more and more.

Grace ran to her, and at the very first glance uttered a shriek of
recognition. She caught it from Jael, tore it open, saw the signature,
and sunk into a chair, half fainting, with the letter pressed
convulsively to her breast.

Jael, trembling, but comparatively self-possessed, ran to the door
directly and locked it.

"My darling! my darling! he is alive! The dear words, they swim before
my eyes. Read! read! tell me what he says. Why has he abandoned me? He
has not abandoned me! O God! what have I done? what have I done?"

Before that letter was half read, or rather sobbed, out to her, Grace
tore off all her bridal ornaments and trampled them under her feet, and
moaned, and twisted, and writhed as if her body was being tortured as
well as her heart; for Henry was true as ever, and she had married a
villain.

She took the letter from Jael, and devoured every word; though she was
groaning and sobbing with the wilde