‘Just read it over to me, before it goes,’ said the old man; and the minister did so. ‘Now, I must get it posted to-night,’ said Mr. Lindsay, when the reading was finished. ‘I’ll post it myself,’ said Dr. Mackenzie, promptly. ‘There’s a pillar-box at the corner. It won’t take me a minute.’ This offer was gratefully accepted. The minister let himself quietly out of the house, leaving the street-door ajar while he went to the pillar-box, which was only a few yards off; and when he returned he went back to his own room, without making noise enough to wake anyone in the house. It had not been without some reluctance that Laura Mowbray had consented to play the spy for James Semple. Not that she was conscious of any humiliation in the matter--she rather enjoyed the excitement of it--but she felt that in yielding to his wishes she had made the tie between them stronger than was perhaps altogether prudent. In their last interview Semple had assumed that he was her accepted lover, and she knew that he had grounds for so doing. So long ago as the summer when they had been together at Loch Long, she perceived that he, as well as Alec Lindsay, was in love with her, although Alec’s passion found vent in words while his cousin’s did not. When Semple did declare himself, some time afterwards, she had given him much the same answer as she had given to Alec. But lately he had renewed his pleading, and meeting with a very weak resistance, he had assumed that he was, or very soon would be, successful. Of late, however, he had had no time for love-making. Laura had produced in his mind exactly the impression she had intended. She did not wish to accept his offer just then, but neither did she wish to send him away. Her heart (such as it was) was with Alec; but then she could not bring herself to marry a poor man; and Alec had thrown away his chances of ingratiating himself with his uncle so persistently, that she had very little hope that he would find himself rich after his uncle’s death. Semple, she felt sure, would be the heir, but she had no idea of pledging herself irrevocably till the event had declared itself. On the morning after she had paid her visit to Mr. Lindsay’s bedroom in accordance with her lover’s directions, Miss Mowbray took good care to be early in the breakfast-room. She anticipated that Semple would take that opportunity of having an interview with her, and she was not disappointed. ‘Well?’ he said eagerly, as soon as he entered the room, without waiting to bid her good-morning, ‘did my uncle get the letter last night?’ ‘What would you give to know?’ returned the girl, with a saucy air. A coarse expression sprang to the young man’s lips, but he had sense enough to restrain it. ‘Don’t trifle with me,’ he said. Laura was struck by the anxious, haggard look on his face, as well as by the tone of his voice. ‘Why are you so anxious about that letter?’ she asked.