may have
designed that at this moment Lydia of the heavy foot should enter with
the second post's letters, and amongst those which had been sent on to
Mrs. Wrottesley was one directed to her husband in dear Miss Abingdon's
handwriting.

The canon opened it unheedingly. Miss Abingdon often sent him little
notes, but never, perhaps, had she written one which spoke more
genuinely out of a full heart than did this. She had written in the
middle of the night, although she felt how disorderly and almost
indecorous such a proceeding was. By so doing she had missed the
evening post, but she sent the missive to the village early in the
morning by the hand of a groom, and felt glad, as she did so, that
there were no secrets in her life. A letter posted at an unaccustomed
hour suggested intrigues, and Miss Abingdon wondered how people could
live who had such things upon their consciences.

Her unusual behaviour accounts for the fact that her letter arrived by
the second post at Hulworth; Canon Wrottesley was so much upset at the
time that he read half-way through it before he quite realized what it
was about.

'MY DEAR CANON,'--it ran--'you must allow me to say what I think of
your splendid conduct in regard to poor little Mrs. Avory. I had heard
the story, of course, of her very indiscreet behaviour, but it was not
till this morning that I knew how splendidly you had thrown yourself
into the breach by allowing Mrs. Wrottesley to go over to Hulworth to
stay and nurse the poor thing. I must tell you that I hear on all
sides nothing but the kindest things said about your action in the
matter. I do not often write so unreservedly as at present, but I do
feel strongly on the subject, and on occasions such as this I may be
allowed to say that it takes a good man and a broad-minded one to act
promptly and generously--would that there were more of them in the
English Church!'

Miss Abingdon used to fear afterwards that perhaps she had said too
much; but to her also, as to Mrs. Wrottesley, the relief of speaking
her mind once in a way was irresistible.

Of course it weakened the canon's position to show the letter to his
wife. He ought to have relented gracefully and with dignity, and to
have consented as a personal favour, even against his proper judgment,
to his wife's remaining where she was. But Miss Abingdon's letter was
too full of kind remarks to be kept to himself. He handed it to
Henrietta, and when she had r