This for you is from Mrs.Lessingham, isn't it ?" "Yes; I think this is the news, at last," said Eleanor, inspecting Mrs.
Baske's letter, not without feminine emotion.

"I'll take it to her.
Shall you go over with the other ?" "He'll be here after dinner; the likelihood is that I shouldn't find him." "Occasionally--very occasionally--you lack tact, my husband.

He would hardly care to open this and read it in our presence." "More than occasionally, my dear girl, you remind me of the woman whose price is above rubies.

I'll go over and leave it for him at once.

Just to show the male superiority, however, I shall be careful to make my walk a few minutes longer than usual--a thing of which you would be quite incapable whilst the contents of Miriam's letter were unknown to you." Alone again, Eleanor sent the letter to Miriam's room by a servant, and with uncertain fingers broke the envelope of that addressed to herself.
Already she had heard once from Mrs.Lessingham, who ten days ago left Naples to join certain friends in Rome; the first hurried glance over the present missive showed that it contained no intelligence.