‘And that is just the authority with which I am armed, Miss Llewellyn, if you will but listen to me quietly. What is the use of making all this fuss over the inevitable? You are acquainted with the earl’s handwriting. Will you kindly glance at this, and tell me if you recognise it as his?’ ‘Yes, it is his.’ ‘Let me read it to you, and pray remember that the servants are near at hand, and ready to make copy out of all they hear. Are you listening to me?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘This letter is dated 2d of July. ‘“DEAR STERNDALE,--You will be surprised, and I suppose delighted, to hear that I am engaged to be married to Miss Leonora Abinger, the second daughter of Admiral Sir Richard Abinger, a young lady of twenty. The wedding will take place within six weeks or so. Of course, the only difficulty with me is Miss Llewellyn. The news will be unexpected to her, and I am not quite sure how she will take it. We have been together now for three years, and that is a long time. However, she is a very sensible woman, and must have known from the beginning that it was impossible such a state of things could go on for ever. Will you go, like a good soul, and break it to her? Of course, she must be well provided for. What would be a suitable sum? Five thousand pounds? Draw up a settlement for what you consider best, but I want to be generous to her, for she has been very good to me. I should consider myself a scoundrel if I did not provide for her for life; but she will doubtless marry before long, and a few thousands will form a nice little _dot_ for her. After my marriage I am going to take my wife straight to the Grecian Isles in the _Débutante_, so that we shall not be home till late in the autumn. You will see, like a good friend, that the coast is quite clear before then. We mean to go to Thistlemere for Christmas, and while the town house is being done up.” ‘There Miss Llewellyn,’ said Mr Sterndale, as he came to a full stop, ‘that is all of the letter that concerns you. The rest consists of directions about draining and decoration, and matters that ladies do not trouble their heads about. You perfectly understand now, I am sure, and will absolve me from attempting to deceive you in the business.’ He glanced at her as he spoke, and observed she was sitting on the couch with her head drooping on her breast. ‘May I see the letter?’ was all she said. He placed it in her hands, and she perused the portion he had read aloud, mechanically. Then she held it out to him again, and he pocketed it. But he wished she would say something. He did not like her total silence. It was so unlike Miss Llewellyn. With a view to disperse it, he continued,--