There are cases, he argued, in which similar proposals lead most rapidly to the end desired.
The inexperienced girl, in the innocence of her astonishment, accepted the proffered bouquet.

This was adroitly calculated upon by the sender.
Any other missive might have aroused her suspicion and made her more cautious, but flowers harmonize so well with a young girl's disposition that how could she refuse them?
Only when the bearer of the missive had withdrawn did Fanny observe a letter concealed among the flowers, and immediately, just as if she had caught sight of a venomous spider, she threw away the bouquet, and ran weeping to Dame Kramm, and sobbing bitterly, related the incident.

She fancied she was disgraced already.
Shortly afterwards Teresa returned home, and she and Dame Kramm held a consultation over the sealed letter.

Fanny was inconsolable when Dame Kramm confided to her its contents.

She seriously believed that the bare receiving such a letter had dishonoured her for ever and ever, and despite the consolations of the two worthy old spinsters, she lay in a fever the whole night.
Meanwhile the two old ladies were concocting a plan of vengeance against the originator of all this trouble, and, believe me, ancient spinsters know how to be revengeful! They left the back door of the garden wide open, laid in wait till the cavalier had entered, and then closed it again.