 have here a book which belongs to Miss Waltham. She lent it to me a year
ago, and I wish to return it. Dare I ask you to put it into her hands?«
    Letty knew what the book must be. Adela had told her of it at the time, and
since had spoken of it once or twice.
    »Oh, yes, I will give it her,« she replied, rather nervously again.
    »Will you say that I would gladly have thanked her myself, if it had been
possible?«
    »Yes, Mr. Eldon, I will say that.«
    Something in Hubert's voice seemed to cause Letty to raise her eyes again.
    »You wish me to thank her?« she added, inconsequently perhaps, but with a
certain significance.
    »If you will be so kind.«
    Hubert wanted to say more, but found it difficult to discover the right
words. Letty, too, tried to shadow forth something that was in her mind, but
with no better success.
    »If I remember,« Hubert said, pausing in his walk, »this stile will be my
shortest way across to the Vicarage. Thank you much for your kindness.«
    He had raised his hat and was turning, but Letty impulsively put forth her
hand. »Good-bye,« he said, in a friendly voice, as he took the little fingers.
»I wish the old days were back again, and we were going to have tea together as
we used to.«
    Mr. Wyvern's face gave no promise of cheerful intelligence as he welcomed
his visitor.
    »What is the origin of this, I wonder?« he said, handing Hubert the »Belwick
Chronicle.«
    The state of the young man's nerves was not well adapted to sustain fresh
irritation. He turned pale with anger.
    »Is this going the round of Wanley?«
    »Probably. I had it from Mrs. Waltham.«
    »Did you contradict it?«
    »As emphatically as I could.«
    »I will see the man who edits this to-morrow,« cried Hubert hotly. »But
perhaps he is too great a blackguard to talk with.«
    »It purports to come, you see, from a London correspondent. But I suppose
the source is nearer.«
    »You mean - you think that man Mutimer has originated it?«
    »I scarcely think that.«
    »Yet it is more than likely. I will go to the Manor at once. At least he
shall give me yes
