It was when he felt this that he had written to Captain Langrishe, saying nothing to her about it, stealing out, in fact, at night to post the letter secretly, he whose correspondence, such as it was--he was no great penman--had always lain in the letter-basket on the hall table for the servants to scrutinise the addresses if they would before it was posted.
When the answer came he congratulated himself on his forethought.
Luckily, that morning he was first at the breakfast-table.

Of late Nelly, who had been wont to rise as cheerfully as a waking bird, was tardy occasionally.

The General suspected broken sleep, and had bidden the servants tenderly not to call her, although the breakfast-table was not the same thing with no bright face and golden head opposite to him.
When he had read the letter he thrust it into an inner pocket.

The servant, who was attending, went away at the moment, and the General got up quickly, and with a stealthy glance at the door, buried the letter in the heart of the fire, raked the coals over it, and was in his place before the servant returned.
"Confound the fellow!" he said under his breath.
Plainly, there was nothing more to be done.

The child had to go through it.