Anne's annoyance at feeling that conclusion forced on her produced the first betrayal of impatience which she had shown yet.

She left Arnold at the window, and flung herself on the sofa.

"A curse seems to follow me!" she thought, bitterly.

"This will end ill--and I shall be answerable for it!" In the mean time Mr.Bishopriggs had found the dinner in the kitchen, ready, and waiting for him.

Instead of at once taking the tray on which it was placed into the sitting-room, he conveyed it privately into his own pantry, and shut the door.
"Lie ye there, my freend, till the spare moment comes--and I'll look at ye again," he said, putting the letter away carefully in the dresser-drawer.