But he was too late.

Her ladyship's quick eyes had flashed to it, and if the distance precluded the possibility of her discovering anything that might be written upon it, she, nevertheless, could see the curious nature of the paper, which was of the flimsiest tissue of a sort extremely uncommon.
"What is't ye hide ?" said she, as she came forward.

"Why, we are very close, surely! What mischief is't ye hatch, my lord ?"' "Mis--mischief, my love ?" He smiled propitiatingly--hating her more than ever in that moment.

He had stuffed the letter into an inner pocket of his coat, and but that she had another matter to concern her at the moment she would not have allowed the question she had asked to be so put aside.

But this other matter upon her mind touched her very closely.
"Devil take it, whatever it may be! Rotherby is here." "Rotherby ?" His demeanor changed; from conciliating it was of a sudden transformed to indignant.