"I should, no doubt, have destroyed it at once, but I thought it would be perfectly safe in my desk."
"And it was stolen? No matter, Miss Rushford. It isn't worth worrying about. I'm sick of the whole affair, anyway—I shall rather welcome the catastrophe. You've lost sleep over it," he continued, looking at her keenly. "It has made you almost ill! I shall never forgive myself!"
"Thank you," she said, softly, her lips trembling, her eyes very bright. "It is beautiful of you to be so generous. But fortunately the note was not stolen. I found it afterwards among some note-paper, where it had somehow found its way."
"And you destroyed it?"
"No," she said, and took it from her bosom. "I thought I would better restore it to you, so that you yourself could destroy it. Here it is," and she held it out to him with fingers not wholly steady.
He took it, his eyes still on her face.
"It has caused us enough trouble," he said, and made as though to tear it into bits.
But Nell laid her hand upon his arm.
"Without looking at it?" she protested.
"You are right," he agreed, and opened it and glanced at the contents.