She was curious--as any woman would be--to see how he took Miss Sherwood's action.

Her father was deep in his paper at the time.

Her mother was reading other letters.
Marion read the first few lines with a feeling of almost painful wonder, the words were so curious, cynical, and cold.
Richard sat opposite her.

He also was engaged with his paper, but, chancing to glance up, he saw that she was becoming very pale, and that the letter trembled in her fingers.

Being a little short-sighted, he was not near enough to see the handwriting.