She is ill, and probably knows by now what you know, but for all
the shock she has had, she may have years of life before her. You cannot
do better than go to her at once. And remember that she will need all
your strength to help her. For she is not strong, like you."

The old face relaxed from its tension, and a gleam of happiness was in
the life of it. But she only said:--"Maisie": said it twice, as for the
pleasure in the name. Then she held out her hand, to take the letter
from the doctor.

He handed it to her. "I have been telling fibs, Mrs. Marrable," said he,
"or using them, which is the same thing, in trying to tell you this.
You will forgive that, I know?" She nodded assent. "Shall I tell you the
facts, as far as they are known to me?"

"Please!" She seemed well able to understand.

"Her husband was a damnable scoundrel...."

"He was."

"... And for some motive we can throw no light on, wrote two letters,
one a forgery with your father's signature--a letter to his wife--saying
that you, with your own husband and her child were drowned at sea. The
other to yourself, telling you that she was dead in Australia."

The blank horror on old Phoebe's face remained in the doctor's memory,
long after that. She just found voice to say:--"God help us all!" But
there was no sign of another collapse, though he was watching for it.

He continued:--"He must have had some means of suppressing your letters
to one another, to be safe in this deception...."

"He was the postmaster."

"Oh--was that it? Mrs. Costrell is coming back, and I shall have to
stop.... But I must just tell you this. The whole story has come out
through Lady Gwendolen Rivers, who is keenly interested in your sister."
Old Phoebe gave a visible start at this first mention of Mrs. Prichard's
relationship as a certainty. It was like the bather's gasp when the cold
water comes level with his heart. "Lady Gwendolen seems to have taken
charge of the old lady's writing-desk in London, and his lordship, her
father, it appears, opened and read them, having his suspicions...."

"Oh, but his lordship had the right...."

"Surely! No one would question his lordship's actions.... Here comes
your granddaughter back. I must stop. But that is really the whole."
Mrs. Costrell came back to say that John was mending a buckle in the
harness, but would be ready to drive Granny in a few minutes. How much
better Granny was looking! What was it, doctor? It wasn't like Gr