The new direction in which he was pushing his inquiries began to look like the right direction already.

"Miss Isabel Miller," he proceeded, "has been a resident under your Ladyship's roof for some little time, I believe ?" "For nearly two years, Mr.Troy." "As your Ladyship's companion and reader ?" "As my adopted daughter," her Ladyship answered, with marked emphasis.
Wise Mr.Troy rightly interpreted the emphasis as a warning to him to suspend the examination of her Ladyship, and to address to Mr.Moody the far more serious questions which were now to come.
"Did anyone give you the letter before you left the house with it ?" he said to the steward.

"Or did you take it yourself ?" "I took it myself, from the table here." "Was it sealed ?" "Yes." "Was anybody present when you took the letter from the table ?" "Miss Isabel was present." "Did you find her alone in the room ?" "Yes, sir." Lady Lydiard opened her lips to speak, and checked herself.

Mr.Troy, having cleared the ground before him, put the fatal question.
"Mr.Moody," he said, "when Miss Isabel was instructed to seal the letter, did she know that a bank-note was inclosed in it ?" Instead of replying, Robert drew back from the lawyer with a look of horror.

Lady Lydiard started to her feet--and checked herself again, on the point of speaking.
"Answer him, Moody," she said, putting a strong constraint on herself.
Robert answered very unwillingly.