contained," said
Mr. Gryce, putting the wash-bowl aside. "We will have to ask you, Mrs.
Belden."

"But I don't know. It was directed to me, to be sure; but Hannah told
me, when she first requested me to teach her how to write, that she
expected such a letter, so I didn't open it when it came, but gave it to
her just as it was."

"You, however, stayed by to see her read it?"

"No, sir; I was in too much of a flurry. Mr. Raymond had just come and I
had no time to think of her. My own letter, too, was troubling me."

"But you surely asked her some questions about it before the day was
out?"

"Yes, sir, when I went up with her tea things; but she had nothing
to say. Hannah could be as reticent as any one I ever knew, when she
pleased. She didn't even admit it was from her mistress."

"Ah! then you thought it was from Miss Leavenworth?"

"Why, yes, sir; what else was I to think, seeing that mark in the
corner? Though, to be sure, it might have been put there by Mr.
Clavering," she thoughtfully added.

"You say she was cheerful yesterday; was she so after receiving this
letter?"

"Yes, sir; as far as I could see. I wasn't with her long; the necessity
I felt of doing something with the box in my charge--but perhaps Mr.
Raymond has told you?"

Mr. Gryce nodded.

"It was an exhausting evening, and quite put Hannah out of my head,
but----"

"Wait!" cried Mr. Gryce, and beckoning me into a corner, he whispered,
"Now comes in that experience of Q's. While you are gone from the house,
and before Mrs. Belden sees Hannah again, he has a glimpse of the girl
bending over something in the corner of her room which may very fairly
be the wash-bowl we found there. After which, he sees her swallow, in
the most lively way, a dose of something from a bit of paper. Was there
anything more?"

"No," said I.

"Very well, then," he cried, going back to Mrs. Belden. "But----"

"But when I went upstairs to bed, I thought of the girl, and going to
her door opened it. The light was extinguished, and she seemed asleep,
so I closed it again and came out."

"Without speaking?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did you notice how she was lying?"

"Not particularly. I think on her back."

"In something of the same position in which she was found this morning?"

"Yes, sir."

"And that is all you can tell us, either of her letter or her mysterious
death?"

"All, sir."

Mr. Gryce straightened himself up.

"Mrs. Belden," said he, "you know Mr.