In a last and longest pause of silence between them, the next event happened.

The door from the hall was softly and suddenly opened.
Was it Horace?
No--not even yet.

The person who had opened the door was only Mercy's maid.
"My lady's love, miss; and will you please to read this directly ?" Giving her message in those terms, the woman produced from the pocket of her apron Lady Janet's second letter to Mercy, with a strip of paper oddly pinned round the envelope.

Mercy detached the paper, and found on the inner side some lines in pencil, hurriedly written in Lady Janet's hand.

They ran thus.
"Don't lose a moment in reading my letter.