Anne Silvester appeared on the threshold, confronting him.
"Mr.Brinkworth!!!" she exclaimed, standing petrified with astonishment.
For a moment more neither of them spoke.

Anne advanced one step into the sitting-room, and put the next inevitable question, with an instantaneous change from surprise to suspicion.
"What do you want here ?" Geoffrey's letter represented the only possible excuse for Arnold's appearance in that place, and at that time.
"I have got a letter for you," he said--and offered it to her.
She was instantly on her guard.

They were little better than strangers to each other, as Arnold had said.

A sickening presentiment of some treachery on Geoffrey's part struck cold to her heart.

She refused to take the letter.
"I expect no letter," she said.