dge was bent upon reading Aunt Lucy's letter. Knowing it to be
from Paul, she had a strong curiosity to know what had become of him.
If she could only get him back! Her heart bounded with delight as she
thought of the annoyances to which, in that case, she could subject him.
It would be a double triumph over him and Aunt Lucy, against whom she
felt that mean spite with which a superior nature is often regarded by
one of a lower order.

After some reflection, Mrs. Mudge concluded that Aunt Lucy would
probably leave the letter in the little chest which was appropriated to
her use, and which was kept in the room where she slept. The key of this
chest had been lost, and although Aunt Lucy had repeatedly requested
that a new one should be obtained, Mrs. Mudge had seen fit to pay no
attention to her request, as it would interfere with purposes of her
own, the character of which may easily be guessed.

As she suspected, Paul's letter had been deposited in this chest.

Accordingly, the same afternoon, she left her work in the kitchen in
order to institute a search for it. As a prudent precaution, however,
she just opened the door of the common room, to make sure that Aunt Lucy
was at work therein.

She made her way upstairs, and entering the room in which the old lady
lodged, together with two others, she at once went to the chest and
opened it.

She began to rummage round among the old lady's scanty treasures, and at
length, much to her joy, happened upon the letter, laid carefully away
in one corner of the chest. She knew it was the one she sought, from the
recent postmark, and the address, which was in the unformed handwriting
of a boy. To make absolutely certain, she drew the letter from the
envelope and looked at the signature.

She was right, as she saw at a glance. It was from Paul.

"Now I'll see what the little rascal has to say for himself," she
muttered, "I hope he's in distress; oh, how I'd like to get hold of
him."

Mrs. Mudge began eagerly to read the letter, not dreaming of
interruption. But she was destined to be disappointed. To account for
this we must explain that, shortly after Mrs. Mudge looked into the
common room, Aunt Lucy was reminded of something essential, which she
had left upstairs. She accordingly laid down her work upon the chair in
which she had been sitting, and went up to her chamber.

Mrs. Mudge was too much preoccupied to hear the advancing steps.

As the old lady entered the cham