‘I vow it was so! Out came a whole lot of letters from the old love, a colonel in the Peninsula, that her husband had never heard of,—an old lawyer he was.’
‘The husband? What made her marry him?’
‘They were all ruined horse and foot, and the old love was wounded, “kilt”, or disposed of, till he turned up, married to her best friend.’
‘What became of her?’
‘I forget—there was a poisoning and a paralytic stroke in it.’
‘Was there! How delightful! How I should like to read it. What was its name?’
‘I don’t remember. It was a green railway book. Theodora made me read it, and I should know it again if I saw it. I’ll look out for it, and you’ll find I was right about her head. But how now. Haven’t you fainted away all this time?’
‘No; why should I?’
‘How do you know what I may have discovered in your papers? Are you prepared? It is no laughing matter,’ added he, in a Blue Beard tone, and drawing out the paper of calculations, he pointed to the tear marks. ‘Look here. What’s this, I say, what’s this, you naughty child?’
‘I am sorry! it was very silly,’ whispered Violet, in a contrite ashamed way, shrinking back a little.