"No—But what I read amazed me. It seemed all of a piece with Janet's strange behavior of late."
"Indeed? Who is the letter from?"
Emily flushed slightly.
"Mother, I told you I didn't read as far as that. I couldn't help seeing the first line, however. And that confirmed the suspicion we have both had, that Janet has been falling under bad influences."
"Emily, is some man corrupting her?"
"It looks like a woman's hand to me. What do you think?"
Emily gave the letter to her mother, who scrutinized the handwriting for a moment.
"Well," she said at length, "there can be no harm in your repeating to me what you inadvertently saw."
"I don't like to say anything that may turn out to Janet's disadvantage," said Emily, with an effect of reluctance that deceived even herself. "It will seem almost like betraying a confidence."
"Nonsense, Emily. If evil threatens Janet, it is your duty as a sister to warn me, and my duty as a mother to protect her. Our consciences would reproach us if we failed in this."