, and Moody's position had
dropped a degree lower in Lady Lydiard's estimation.

Isabel received her letter by the next morning's post. If any
justification of Mr. Troy's suspicions had been needed, the terms in
which Moody wrote would have amply supplied it.

"DEAR ISABEL (I hope I may call you 'Isabel' without offending you, in
your present trouble?)--I have a proposal to make, which, whether
you accept it or not, I beg you will keep a secret from every living
creature but ourselves. You will understand my request, when I add that
these lines relate to the matter of tracing the stolen bank-note.

"I have been privately in communication with a person in London, who is,
as I believe, the one person competent to help us in gaining our end.
He has already made many inquiries in private. With some of them I am
acquainted; the rest he has thus far kept to himself. The person to whom
I allude, particularly wishes to have half an hour's conversation with
you in my presence. I am bound to warn you that he is a very strange
and very ugly old man; and I can only hope that you will look over his
personal appearance in consideration of what he is likely to do for your
future advantage.

"Can you conveniently meet us, at the further end of the row of villas
in which your aunt lives, the day after to-morrow, at four o'clock? Let
me have a line to say if you will keep the appointment, and if the hour
named will suit you. And believe me your devoted friend and servant,

"ROBERT MOODY."

The lawyer's warning to her to be careful how she yielded too readily to
any proposal of Moody's recurred to Isabel's mind while she read those
lines. Being pledged to secrecy, she could not consult Mr. Troy--she was
left to decide for herself.

No obstacle stood in the way of her free choice of alternatives. After
their early dinner at three o'clock, Miss Pink habitually retired to
her own room "to meditate," as she expressed it. Her "meditations"
inevitably ended in a sound sleep of some hours; and during that
interval Isabel was at liberty to do as she pleased. After considerable
hesitation, her implicit belief in Moody's truth and devotion, assisted
by a strong feeling of curiosity to see the companion with whom the
steward had associated himself, decided Isabel on consenting to keep the
appointment.

Taking up her position beyond the houses, on the day and at the hour
mentioned by Moody, she believed herself to be fully prepared for t