' That was enough for me: I let the subject drop. Clear as
daylight, isn't it, William? The
steward suspected something wrong--the steward waited and
watched--the steward wrote that anonymous letter to your
mistress. We can find him, if we want him, by inquiring at Cowes;
and we can send to the church for legal evidence of the marriage
as soon as we are instructed to do so. All that we have got to do
now is to go back to your mistress, and see what course she means
to take under the circumstances. It's a pretty case, William, so
far--an uncommonly pretty case, as it stands at present."
We returned to Darrock Hall as fast as coaches and post-horses
could carry us.
Having from the first believed that the statement in the
anonymous letter was true, my mistress received the bad news we
brought calmly and resignedly--so far, at least, as outward
appearances went. She astonished and disappointed Mr. Dark by
declining to act in any way on the information that he had
collected for her, and by insisting that the whole affair should
still be buried in the profoundest secrecy. For the first time
since I had known my traveling companion, he became depressed in
spirits on hearing that nothing more was to be done, and,
although he left the Hall with a handsome present, he left it
discontentedly.
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