“What is the matter?” asked Newman. “Is Madame la Comtesse at home, or not?”
Mrs. Bread advanced, fixing her eyes upon him: he observed that she held a sealed letter, very delicately, in her fingers. “The countess has left a message for you, sir; she has left this,” said Mrs. Bread, holding out the letter, which Newman took.
“Left it? Is she out? Is she gone away?”
“She is going away, sir; she is leaving town,” said Mrs. Bread.
“Leaving town!” exclaimed Newman. “What has happened?”
“It is not for me to say, sir,” said Mrs. Bread, with her eyes on the ground. “But I thought it would come.”
“What would come, pray?” Newman demanded. He had broken the seal of the letter, but he still questioned. “She is in the house? She is visible?”
“I don’t think she expected you this morning,” the old waiting-woman replied. “She was to leave immediately.”
“Where is she going?”
“To Fleurières.”