He moved by little and
little nearer to Mr Chester's chair, and glancing over his shoulder
at the reflection of his face in the glass, as if seeking for some
encouragement in its expression, said at length, with a rough attempt at
conciliation,
'ARE you going to speak to me, master, or am I to go away?'
'Speak you,' said Mr Chester, 'speak you, good fellow. I have spoken,
have I not? I am waiting for you.'
'Why, look'ee, sir,' returned Hugh with increased embarrassment, 'am I
the man that you privately left your whip with before you rode away from
the Maypole, and told to bring it back whenever he might want to see you
on a certain subject?'
'No doubt the same, or you have a twin brother,' said Mr Chester,
glancing at the reflection of his anxious face; 'which is not probable,
I should say.'
'Then I have come, sir,' said Hugh, 'and I have brought it back, and
something else along with it. A letter, sir, it is, that I took from
the person who had charge of it.' As he spoke, he laid upon the
dressing-table, Dolly's lost epistle. The very letter that had cost her
so much trouble.
'Did you obtain this by force, my good fellow?' said Mr Chester, casting
his eye upon it without the least perceptible surprise or pleasure.
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